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, <br /> b. Other current formal status recommendations- The WGFD <br /> has designated Zapus hudsonius as a Priority U nongame species, <br /> meaning it is a priority species in need of special management in <br /> Wyoming(WGFD 1991). This designation is administrative,not <br /> legal (Bob Luce pers. comm.). Two subspecies occur in <br /> Wyoming, namely Z. h. campestris and Z. h. preblei. The <br /> WGFD does no[currently recognize any additional special status <br /> for the Preble's subspecies. The WGFD is currently updating <br /> their lists of species of special concern, which may affect the <br /> designation of the Preble's subspecies. <br /> C. Review of past status- Historically, Preble's meadow jumping <br /> mouse has had no legal protective status. <br /> 3. Description <br /> A. General nontechnical description- Whitaker (1972) described the general <br /> characteristics common to the genus Zapus as being long-tailed, yellowish mice <br /> with hind legs much longer than forelegs; tail attenuate, subcylindrical and longer <br /> than body; eyes small and midway between nose and ear, upper lip with median <br /> groove; vibrissae conspicuous; general pelage coarse. Krutzsch (1954) describes <br /> the coloration of the pelage of Z. h. preblei as, "color dull, back from near Clay <br /> Color to near Tawny-Olive with admixture of black hair forming poorly defined <br /> dorsal band; sides lighter than back from near Clay Color to near Cinnamon-Buff; <br /> lateral line distinct and clear Ochraceous-Buff; belly white, sometimes fain[wash <br /> of clear Ochmceous-Buff; tail bicolored, brownish to light brownish-black above, <br /> grayish-white to yellowish-white below." Capitalized color terms refer to a <br /> standard, while color terns in lower case do not (Krutzsch 1954). Krutzsch <br /> (1954) described the general configuration of the skull as, "incisive foramina <br /> relatively narrow and elongate; auditory bullae moderately inflated; pterygoid <br /> fossae relatively broad; postpalatal notch broadly rounded; interorbital region <br /> relatively narrow; zygomatic arch not widely bowed; frontal region well inflated; <br /> distance from incisors to postpalatal notch relatively short." <br /> B. Technical description- Zapus may be distinguished from Napaeozapus in no[ <br /> having a white-tipped tail, and in having four upper molariform teeth <br /> (Napaeozapus has three upper molariform teeth). Zapus may be distinguished <br /> from Eozapus in having no white-tipped tail, and no dark longitudinal stripe down <br /> the abdomen. Z. hudsonius has the first molariform tooth small, measuring 0.30 <br /> mm long by 0.35 mra wide, and is distinguishable from Z. rrinorarus (0.70 by <br /> 0.75) and Z.princeps (0.55 by 0.50) based on this characteristic (Krutzsch 1954). <br /> The dentition is i 1/1, c 0/0, p 1/0, m 3/3 (Whitaker 1972). Z. hudsonius has <br /> incisive foramina shorter than 4.6 ram (Z. princeps longer than 4.6 mm); palatal <br /> breadth at last molariform (M3) tooth less than 4.2 mm (Z. princeps more than <br /> 4.4 mm); condylobasal length usually less than 20.3 mm (Z.princeps usually 20.3 <br /> or more); maxillary toothrow usually 3.7 or less (Z.princeps usually greater than <br /> 3.7) (Whitaker 1972). Baculum with tip lanceolate (not spade-shaped) and tip <br /> less than 0.43 mm wide, and less than 5.1 mm in total length (length of chord <br /> from base to tip, not actual length of bone); underfur with medullary pattem <br /> rectangular, cuticular scales large; guard hair averaging 115 micra in diameter <br /> (Krutzsch 1954). <br /> Fmd o.....SL cy <br /> P.Ers.r.. <br /> March 24. 1993 <br />