Northern Pygmy Mouse

About the Northern Pygmy Mouse

The northern pygmy mouse (Baiomys taylori) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is known as ratón-pigmeo norteño in the Spanish-speaking areas of its range. It is found in Mexico and the United States. It is the smallest rodent in North America.

This species was originally described as a member of the genus Hesperomys. Afterwards it would be placed in the genus Peromyscus and even the hamster genus Cricetus. In 1907, the American naturalist Edgar Mearns elevated the subgenus Baiomys to genus-level and included this species in it alongside B. musculus. It is likely more recent than B. musculus and B. brunneus, as it less closely resembles fossil members of this genus.

There are seven subspecies: B. t. allex (Osgood, 1904 - native to the lowlands of southernmost Nayarit, western Jalisco, Colima, and southwestern Michoacán B. t. analogus (Osgood, 1917) - native to northern Michoacán, eastern Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Estado de México, Mexico City, southeasternmost San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, central Puebla and a small part of central Veracruz

B. t. ater Blossom & Burt, 1942 - native to southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, northernmost Sonora... Wikipedia →