Part 11

Long-tailed Meadow Mouse

Microtus mordax littoralis Swarth, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 46:209, October 26, 1933. (Type from Shakan, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska.)

Microtus longicaudus littoralis Goldman, Jour. Mamm., 19:491, November 14, 1938.

Specimens examined.--Total 29, as follows: Alaska: E side Chilkat River, 100 ft., 9 mi. W and 4 mi. N Haines, 9; 1 mi. S Haines, 5 ft., 20.

Remarks.--In comparison with the series of M. l. vellerosus from the Liard River area, the long-tailed meadow mice from near Haines are more reddish brown, have a longer tail, and have a smaller skull with smaller auditory bullae. This subspecies is restricted to the coastal area, and as noted under the account of M. l. vellerosus, intergradation between these two forms occurs a relatively short distance inland.

Microtus oeconomus macfarlani Merriam

Tundra Mouse

Microtus macfarlani Merriam, Proc. Washington Acad. Sci., 2:24, March 14, 1900. (Type from Fort Anderson, Anderson River, Mackenzie district, Northwest Territories, Canada.)

Microtus oec[onomus] macfarlani Zimmerman, Archiv f. Naturgesch., 11:187, September 12, 1942.

Specimens examined.--Total 70, as follows: Alaska: Circle, 664 ft., 1; Chatanika River, 700 ft., 14 mi. E and 25 mi. N Fairbanks, 13; Twelve Mile Summit, 3225 ft., Steese Highway, 6; 1 mi. SW Fairbanks, 440 ft., 3; N side Salcha River, 600 ft., 25 mi. S and 20 mi. E Fairbanks, 28; Yerrick Creek, 21 mi. W and 4 mi. N Tok Junction, 9; Fish Creek, 3400 ft., 5 mi. N and 1 mi. E Paxson, 3; Glenn Highway, 6 mi. WSW Snowshoe Lake, 1. Yukon Territory: Jct. Grafe and Edith Creeks, 1; 6 mi. SW Kluane, 2550 ft., 2; SW end Dezadeash Lake, 1. British Columbia: Stonehouse Creek, 51/2 mi. W jct. Stonehouse Creek and Kelsall River, 2.

Remarks.--Alcorn found the tundra mouse in many of the localities at which he trapped in east-central Alaska. Specimens were taken above timberline, along roads, in grassy areas which had been cleared of timber, and in low vegetation bordering streams. On August 17 at Fish Creek, 5 miles north and 1 mile east of Paxson, Alaska, Alcorn obtained one of these mice in a tree in the daytime. Immature specimens taken at Stonehouse Creek are, to my knowledge, the first records for this species in British Columbia.

Mus musculus Linnaeus

House Mouse

musculus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1:62, 1758. (Type from Upsala, Sweden.)

Specimens examined.--Total 6, as follows: Alaska: 1 mi. NE Anchorage, 100 ft., 2. Yukon Territory: McIntyre Creek, 2259 ft., 3 mi. NW Whitehorse, 2; 2 mi. NNW Whitehorse, 2100 ft., 1. Alberta: Assineau River, 1920 ft., 10 mi. E and 1 mi. N Kinuso, 1.

Remarks.--Alcorn took house mice in and near areas inhabited by man. One mouse was taken near Whitehorse on July 10 under a building which had not been occupied for one year. Another was taken at the Whitehorse city dump. Near Kinuso, one specimen was obtained at the site of an old sawmill.

Zapus hudsonius hudsonius (Zimmermann)

Meadow Jumping Mouse

Dipus hudsonius Zimmermann, Geogr. Gesch., 2:358, 1780. (Type from Hudson Bay, Canada.)

Zapus hudsonius Coues, Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geogr. Surv. Terr., ser. 2, 1:253, January 8, 1876.

Specimens examined.--Total 8, as follows: British Columbia: 1 mi. NW jct. Irons Creek and Liard River, 3; Hot Springs, 3 mi. WNW jct. Trout River and Liard River, 1; E side Minaker River, 1 mi. W Trutch, 1; 5 mi. W and 3 mi. N Fort St. John, 1. Alberta: Assineau River, 1920 ft., 10 mi. E and 1 mi. N Kinuso, 1.

Remarks.--The jumping mice listed above have been compared with specimens of Z. h. hudsonius from Ontario and Michigan. The zone of contact between Z. h. hudsonius and Z. h. alascensis is still unknown; Alcorn obtained no specimens between Irons Creek and Whitehorse. To my knowledge there are no records from this extensive area.

Alcorn took Zapus in grassy areas at the edge of water, in an old gravel pit, and at the site of an old sawmill. Animals were taken as early as June 30 and as late as September 2.

Zapus hudsonius alascensis Merriam

Meadow Jumping Mouse

Zapus hudsonius alascensis Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 11:223, July 15, 1897. (Type from Yakutat Bay, Alaska.)

Specimens examined.--Total 18, as follows: Alaska: 1 mi. SW Fairbanks, 440 ft., 1; E side Chilkat River, 100 ft., 9 mi. W and 4 mi. N Haines, 8. Yukon Territory: McIntyre Creek, 2250 ft., 3 mi. NW Whitehorse, 4; SW end Dezadeash Lake, 1. British Columbia: Stonehouse Creek, 51/2 mi. W jct. Stonehouse Creek and Kelsall River, 4.

Remarks.--Specimens taken by Alcorn were compared with representatives of both Z. princeps (Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon) and Z. hudsonius (Ontario, Michigan, Kansas, Wyoming). All have been referred to Z. hudsonius although one female from Stonehouse Creek shows some tendency toward Z. princeps in external measurements, length of upper molariform tooth-row, and length of incisive foramina.