Zapus hudsonius

2. Meadow Jumping Mouse Zapus hudsonius French: Zapode des champs / German: Wiesenhipfmaus / Spanish: Raton saltador de pradera Other common names: Hudson Bay Jumping Mouse Taxonomy. Dipus hudsonius Zimmermann, 1780, “Canada, Hudson Bay.” Restricted by R. M. Anderson in 1942 to Fort Severn, Ontario, Canada. Asiazapus 1s the ancestor of Zapus and apparently originated in Asia in the late Pliocene and moved across the Bering Strait into northern North America. This was supported using ectoparasite analysis. Western North America was the area of dispersal of Zapus. It appears that Z. hudsonius was the earliest Zapus and occurred in Alaska. It probably gave rise to Z. trinotatus and Z. princeps. The three species of Zapus are quite closely related. Zapus hudsonius has been found in a late Pleistocene cave deposit in Robinson Cave, Overton County, Tennessee. Two extinct subspecies are known only from the Pleistocene in Kansas: adamsi named by C. W. Hibbard in 1955 from Meade Co., late Sangamon interglacial, and transitionalis named by D. Klingener in 1963 from Big Springs Ranch, Meade Co., late Illinoian. Several workers have questioned validity of the subspecies preblei. Twelve subspecies recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. Z.h.hudsoniusZimmermann,1780—SEAlaska,mostofW&CCanada(SYukon,NBritishColumbia,SNorthwestTerritories,Alberta,Saskatchewan,nearlyallofManitoba,andWOntario),andStoNCUSA(NEMinnesota). Z.h.acadicusR.M.Anderson,1942—ECanada(fromNewBrunswick,PrinceEdwardIsland,andNovaScotia),SWtoNEUSA(NENewYorkandSNewEngland). Z.h.alascensisMerriam,1897—SWAlaska. Z.h.americanusBarton,1799—EUSA(Indiana,Ohio,andSWNewYork,StoNEAlabama,NWGeorgia,andNWSouthCarolina). Z.h.campestrisPreble,1899—NCUSA(whereMontana,SouthDakota,andWyomingmeet). Z.h.canadensisDavies,1798—SECanada(EOntarioandWQuebec). Z.h.intermediusKrutzsch,1954—SCCanada(extremeSManitoba)andNC&ECUSA(extremeECMontana,NorthDakota,SEtoSWisconsin,Michigan,SWIndiana,WKentucky,andWTennessee). Z.h.ladasBangs,1899—ECanada(LabradorandNEQuebec). Z.h.luteusG.S.Miller,1911—SCUSA(CNewMexicoandECArizona). Z.h.pallidusCockrum&Baker,1950—USA(SCSouthDakota,mostofNebraskaandSWIowa,SEtomostofMissouriandNEOklahoma). Z.h.preblerKrutzsch,1954—CUSA(SEWyomingandNCColorado). Z. h. tenellus Merriam, 1897 — SW Canada (S British Columbia). Descriptive notes. Head-body 75-92 mm, tail 108-155 mm, hindfoot 28-35 mm; weight 13-5-26-5 g. The Meadow Jumping Mouse is medium-sized, with an exceedingly long tail, longer than head-body length. Hindlegs and feet are enlarged, making long jumps possible. It is the smallest and lightest colored species of Zapus. Sides are yellowish and interspersed with dark guard hairs. Darker longitudinal band runs down back. Underparts are typically white but sometimes have yellowish or ocherous tinge. Tail is dark on top and light below. Overall size of femalesis slightly larger than males. Infraorbital foramen is large and oval. Zygomatic plate is nearly horizontal rather than oblique and is narrower than, and completely beneath, infraorbital foramen. Nasal bones project considerably beyond incisors. Incisive foramina of rostrum are short. Incisors are orange or yellow, and upper incisors have deep grooves on anterior surfaces. There are four upper molariform teeth, and first premolar is much smaller than in other species of Zapus; toothrow is usually less than 3-7 mm. The Meadow Jumping Mouse has the smallest first molariform tooth, measuring 0-30 mm x 0-35 mm, compared with the other two species of Zapus. Molars are rooted and flat-crowned and have a complicated pattern of re-entrant folds,islands, and valleys. Dental formula is I 1/1,C0/0,PM 1/0,M 3/3 (x2) = 18. Habitat. Mostly dry or wet abandoned fields, brushy areas, and also woods when ground cover is adequate, but especially where the Woodland Jumping Mouse (Napaeozapus insignis) is absent. At Ithaca, Tompkins Co., New York, Meadow Jumping Mice were found most commonly in open fields, but densities were higher in marshy areas and along ponds. Many were also found in brush and brushy fields. Highest numbers were found in good and fair cover, and distance from water and soil moisture seemed to be oflittle importance. In the south-eastern Yukon, the Meadow Jumping Mouse constituted 19-7% of captures in forest interior, forest edge, and logged forest. In northern Indiana, they did not associate more frequently with grassland habitat than forested areas. Food and Feeding. Meadow Jumping Mice mainly eat seeds but also berries and other fruits, nuts, and insects. Percent volume of seeds in diets of 796 individuals from Tompkins Co., New York,steadily increased from 0% in April to 73-1% in October; percent volume of animal materials, mostly insects, decreased from 35-4% in April to 11-7% in October; and percent volume of fungi, mostly Endogonaceae, was 0% in April and peaked at 21-4% in August. The subspecies luteus in New Mexico fed on common threesquare (Schoenoplectus, Cyperaceae), spikerush (Eleocharis, Cyperaceae), saltgrass (Distichlis, Poaceae), foxtail barley (Hordeum, Poaceae), wild rye (Elymus, Poaceae), brome (Bromus, Poaceae), and wheatgrass (Triticum, Poaceae). MeadowJumping Mice frequently foraged in the canopy of herbaceous vegetation. Many kinds of seeds are eaten, varying seasonally with availability. From Tompkins Co., New York, some of the more important seeds were from milkweed (Asclepias, Apocynaceae), elm (Ulmus, Ulmaceae), touch-me-not (/mpatiens, Balsaminaceae), rush (Juncaceae), chickweed (Stellara, Caryophyllaceae), dock (Rumex, Polygonaceae), cinquefoil (Potentilla, Rosaceae), wood sorrel (Oxalis, Oxalidaceae), and grasses (Poaceae), including sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum), bluegrass (Poa), orchard grass (Dactylis), timothy grass (Phleum), quack grass (Elymus), poverty grass (Aristida), rice cut grass (Leersia), and barnyard grass (Echinochloa). Fruits of strawberry (Fragaria, Rosaceae), blackberry (Rubus, Rosaceae), blueberry (Vaccinium, Ericaceae), and viburnum (Adoxaceae) were eaten in season, and flowers of red maple (Acer rubrum, Sapindaceae) and clover (Trifolium, Fabaceae) were sometimes eaten. Major animal foods were caterpillars, beetles, spiders, sowbugs, and moths. Fungi comprised ¢.8-20% of the diet in July-September. Fungi ingested consisted mostly of a tiny subterranean fungus of the family Endogonaceae. It was clear from the high incidence in stomachs (often 50-100% volume) that this fungus was actively sought and not just taken incidentally. Meadow Jumping Mice will reach up stems of some grasses, cut them off as high as they can reach, and pull them down until seed heads are reached. Stems are left in neatpiles on the ground, with rachis on top of piles. In central New York, this most often consisted of timothy grass. Foods in Indiana were similar to those in New York, with touch-me-not being the most common food item and the fungi Endogone and Hymenogaster (Agaricomycetes) forming 17-4% of diets by volume. Energy values of Endogone in Indiana were 2735 calories/g. For comparison, measurements of six kinds of seeds studied by S. C. Kendeigh and G. C. West in 1965 ranged from 4317 calories/g to 5625 calories/g. Some predators include barn owls (7yto alba), great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), northern long-eared owls (Asio otus), screech owls (Megascops), hen harriers (Circus cyaneus), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Coyotes (Canis latrans), domestic cats, Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes), Northern Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), American Minks (Neovison vison), weasels (Mustela), milksnakes (Lampropeltis), rattlesnakes (Crotalinae), water moccasins (Agkistrodon piscivorus), green frogs, and northern pikes (Esox lucius). Owls, especially barn owls, seem to be prevalent predators of the Meadow Jumping Mouse. In a study by J. O. Whitaker, Jr. in Tompkins County, New York in the 1960s, a large rod-shaped anaerobic bacteria, Bacteroides sp., was found in all of ¢.60 intestinal tracts. Bacteroides in the gut was scarce in spring but very abundant in late summer and autumn. A number of internal parasites have been observed in Meadow Jumping Mice. Two species of flagellates (Hexamita) were found in all individuals examined from Tompkins Co., and seven of 23 individuals yielded Eimeria (Coccidia). Trematodes (flukes) include Echinostoma sp., Plagiorchis proximus, Notocotylus (Quinqueserialis) hassali, Quinquerialis quinqueserialis, Schistosomatium douthitti. Cestodes (Tapeworms) include Choanotaenia sp., Hymenolepsis sp., Mesocestoides sp., and Taenia mustelae (larvae). Nematodes (roundworms) include Citellinoides zapodis, Longistriata dalrymplei, Mastophoris muris, Notocotylus hassalli, Rictularia sp., Spirocerca zapi, and Subulura ungulatus. Many different external parasites are found on Meadow Jumping Mice. Mites include species of Glycyphagidae: Glycyphagus newyorkensis, G. hypudaei, G. zapus, Orycteroxenus soricis, and Xenoryctes latiporus. Of 579 individuals examined by Whitaker, 334 contained numerous individuals of “Dermacarus” sp. (Glycyphagidae) later found to include Glycyphagus newyorkensis and G. hypudaei. These are hypopial (transport) stages, often found in great numbers on small mammals: Laelapidae, Androlaelaps fahrenholzi, Echinonyssus isabellinus, Haemogamasus ambulans, H. liponyssoides, H. reidi, and Laelaps kochi; Listrophoridae, Listrophorus mexicanus, Macrochelidae, M. mesochthonius; Macronyssidae, Ornithonyssus bacoti; Myobiidae, Radfordia ewingi; and Pygmephoridae, Pygmephorus mahunkai and P. spinosus. Chiggers (Leewenhorkiidae, Trombiculidae) included Euschoengastia dwersa, E. peromysci, E. rubra, E. setosa, Eutrombicula alfreddugest, E. splendens, Leptotrombidtum peromysci, Neoschoengastia sp., Neotrombicula harperi, N. lipouskyi, N. microti, N. sylvilagn, N. whartoni, Trombicula browni, and T. subsignata. Ticks (Ixodidae) included Dermacentor vanriabilis and Ixodes muris. Fleas (Siphonaptera) reported include Corrodopsylla curvata, Cle

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