Comparative skeletal anatomy of salt marsh and western harvest mice in relation to locomotor ecology

Author:

Woldt Kelsey M.12ORCID,Pratt R. Brandon3,Statham Mark J.4,Barthman‐Thompson Laureen M.5,Sustaita Diego1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Biological Sciences California State University, San Marcos San Marcos California USA

2. Rocks Biological Consulting San Diego California USA

3. Department of Biology California State University, Bakersfield Bakersfield California USA

4. Veterinary Genetics Laboratory University of California, Davis Davis California USA

5. California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Suisun Marsh Monitoring & Compliance Unit Stockton California USA

Abstract

AbstractThe salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) is an endangered species, endemic to the San Francisco Bay Estuary, that co‐occurs with the more broadly distributed species, the western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis). Despite their considerable external morphological similarities, the northern subspecies of salt marsh harvest mice have relatively longer and thicker tails than do western harvest mice, which may be related to their abilities to climb emergent marsh vegetation to avoid tidal inundation. We used micro‐CT to compare post‐cranial skeletal anatomy between the salt marsh and western harvest mouse, to examine whether the salt marsh harvest mouse's restriction to brackish marshes is associated with skeletal adaptations for scansorial locomotion. We found that salt marsh harvest mice exhibited a deeper 3rd caudal vertebra, a more caudally located longest tail vertebra, craniocaudally longer tail vertebrae, and a longer digit III proximal phalanx than western harvest mice. These phalangeal and vertebral characteristics are known to decrease body rotations during climbing, increase contact with substrates, and decrease fall susceptibility in arboreal mammals, suggesting that the salt marsh harvest mouse may be morphologically specialized for scansorial locomotion, adaptive for its dynamic wetland environment.

Publisher

Wiley

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