Comments on Taxonomy and Geographic Distribution of Some North American Marsupials, Insectivores Part 1

Comments on the Taxonomy and Geographic Distribution of Some North American Marsupials, Insectivores and Carnivores.

by E. Raymond Hall and Keith R. Kelson.

In preparing maps showing the geographic distribution of North American mammals we have found in the literature conflicting statements and questionable identifications, which have led us to examine the specimens concerned with results as set forth below. Our studies have been aided by a contract (NR 161-791) between the Office of Naval Research, Department of the Navy, and the University of Kansas.

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the persons in charge of the several collections of mammals consulted for permission to examine and study the specimens therein.

~Didelphis marsupialis californica~ Bennett

From Cuernavaca, Morelos, Hooper (Jour. Mamm., 28:43, February 1, 1947) lists a specimen, as he says, on purely geographic grounds, as of the subspecies _Didelphis mesamericana tabascensis_. We have examined this specimen, an uns.e.xed skull-only, which falls within the range of individual variation of _Didelphis marsupialis californica_ and refer the specimen to that subspecies.

~Didelphis marsupialis etensis~ J. A. Allen

From El Muneco, Costa Rica, Harris (Occas. Papers, Mus. Zool. Univ.

Michigan, no. 476:7, October 8, 1943) lists as _Didelphis richmondi_ a specimen ([Male], No. 67550 U.M.). Our examination of the specimen shows it to be within the range of individual variation of populations that have been referred to _D. m. etensis_ from adjoining areas. We identify the specimen as _Didelphis marsupialis etensis_.

~Didelphis marsupialis tabascensis~ J. A. Allen

From Minat.i.tlan, Veracruz, J. A. Allen (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 14:168, June 15) listed a specimen under the name _Didelphis marsupialis_ [in the trinomial sense] instead of under the name _Didelphis marsupialis tabascensis_, which would be expected, on geographic grounds, to apply. The specimen is No. 78123, U.S. Nat.

Mus., Biol. Surv. Coll. Our examination of the specimen reveals that it is within the range of individual variation of _Didelphis marsupialis tabascensis_ and we identify the specimen as of that subspecies. From Yaruca, Honduras, Bangs (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 39:157, July, 1903) doubtfully listed as _Didelphis yucatanensis_ a specimen, No. 10611, M.C.Z. Our examination of the specimen indicates that it is within the range of variation expectable in _Didelphis marsupialis tabascensis_, known from surrounding areas, and we identify the specimen as _Didelphis marsupialis tabascensis_.

~Didelphis marsupialis virginiana~ Kerr

J. A. Allen (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 14:166, May 28, 1901) and A.

H. Howell (N. Amer. Fauna, 45:20, October 28, 1921) have identified four skulls from Sylacuga, Alabama, as _Didelphis virginiana pigra_.

The two subspecies _virginiana_ and _pigra_ are not known to differ cranially. We have, however, examined the skulls which are Nos.

44057-44060 in the U.S. Nat. Mus., Biol. Surv. Coll. Because they are from a place north of other localities (Auburn and Greensboro, Alabama) from which the subspecies _virginiana_ has been recorded, and within the geographic range of _virginiana_, we identify the specimens as _Didelphis marsupialis virginiana_.

Sycamore Creek (synonymous with Fort Worth), Texas, is a place from which J. A. Allen (_op. cit._:173) recorded a specimen as _Didelphis marsupialis texensis_. This specimen (No. 24359/31765 U. S. Nat. Mus., Biol. Surv. Coll.) is in the black color-phase. There are only a few white hairs on the hind feet, and the basal fourth of the tail is black. The black phase occurs all through the range of the species _D.

marsupialis_ and our examination of the specimen reveals no characters by which it can be distinguished from _D. m. virginiana_ of the surrounding region and we accordingly identify the specimen as _Didelphis marsupialis virginiana_.

~Didelphis marsupialis pigra~ Bangs

Davis (Jour. Mamm., 25:375, December 12, 1944) was one writer who presented evidence that _Didelphis virginiana_ (through its subspecies _virginiana_ or _pigra_ or both) was only subspecifically distinct from the species _Didelphis mesembrinus_ (= _D. marsupialis_) through the subspecies _texensis_. Davis, however, did not actually employ a name combination that would enforce his conclusion and he remarked that he had not seen specimens which showed actual intergradation in the color of the toes. As the remarks below will show, Davis (_loc. cit._) was correct in his supposition that J. A. Allen had seen such specimens.

Deming Station, Matagordo, and Velasco, Texas, are three places from which J. A. Allen (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 14:162, May 28, 1901) listed specimens as _Didelphis virginiana_. The specimens concerned are in the Biological Surveys Collection of the U.S. Nat. Museum and bear catalogue numbers as follows: Deming Station, 32430/44266, 32432/44268, 32433/44269; Matagordo, 32431/44267; Velasco, 32812/44833. In each specimen the tail is shorter than the head and body. The specimen from Velasco is semi-black, has the basal tenth of the tail black and there is no white on the ears or tail. The specimen from Matagordo is grayish, has the basal fifth of the tail black, ears black, the right hind foot black, but there is some white on the toes of the left hind foot and on each of the forefeet. Of the three specimens from Deming Station, all are in the gray color-phase. The first has the tail black only as far from the base as there is hair and there is considerable whitish on the hind toes. The second specimen has the basal fifth of the tail black and a slight amount of whitish on the hind toes. The third specimen has the basal third of the tail black and the toes are all black. In the sum total of their characters the specimens mentioned above are referable to _Didelphis marsupialis pigra_. These five specimens, and indeed the three from Deming Station alone, show intergradation in coloration of the feet between _Didelphis marsupialis texensis_ and _Didelphis virginiana pigra_. Probably there is three-way intergradation here at Deming Station in that _D. v. virginiana_ immediately to the north is involved. The specimens mentioned above, along with the information recorded by Davis (_loc. cit._) and other authors (for example, J. A. Allen, _loc. cit._, and Bull. Amer. Mus.

Nat. Hist., 16:249-279, August 18, 1902), give basis for arranging the North American _Didelphis_ as follows:

_Didelphis marsupialis virginiana_ Kerr.

1792. _Didelphis virginiana_ Kerr, Animal Kingdom, p. 193, type locality Virginia.

_Didelphis marsupialis pigra_ Bangs.

1898. _Didelphis virginiana pigra_ Bangs, Proc. Boston Soc.

Nat. Hist., 28:172, March, type from Oak Lodge, opposite Micco, Brevard Co., Florida.

_Didelphis marsupialis texensis_ J. A. Allen.

1901. _Didelphis marsupialis texensis_ J. A. Allen, Bull. Amer.

Mus. Nat. Hist., 14:172, June 15, type from Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas.

_Didelphis marsupialis californica_ Bennett.

1833. _Didelphis Californica_ Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 40, May 17, type probably from northwestern part of present Republic of Mexico.

1924. _Didelphis mesamericana mesamericana_, Miller. Bull. U.S.

Nat. Mus., 128:3, April 29, 1924, and authors. Type locality, northern Mexico. (_Did[elphys]. mesamericana_ Oken, Lehrbuch d.

naturgesch., pt. 3, vol. 2, p. 1152, 1816, along with other names from Oken 1816, is judged to be unavailable under current rules of zoological nomenclature.)

_Didelphis marsupialis tabascensis_ J. A. Allen.

1901. _Didelphis marsupialis tabascensis_ J. A. Allen, Bull.

Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 14:173, June 15, type from Teapa, Tabasco.

_Didelphis marsupialis yucatanensis_ J. A. Allen.

1901. _Didelphis yucatanensis_ J. A. Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus.

Nat. Hist., 14:178, June 15, type from Chichenitza, Yucatan.

_Didelphis marsupialis cozumelae_ Merriam.

1901. _Didelphis yucatanensis cozumelae_ Merriam, Proc. Biol.

Soc. Was.h.i.+ngton, 14:101, July 19, type from Cozumel Island, Yucatan.

_Didelphis marsupialis richmondi_ J. A. Allen.

1901. _Didelphis richmondi_ J. A. Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat.

Hist., 14:175, June 15, type from Greytown, Nicaragua.

1920. _D[idelphis], m[arsupialis], richmondi_, Goldman, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., 69(5):46, April 24.

_Didelphis marsupialis etensis_ J. A. Allen.

1902. _Didelphis marsupialis etensis_ J. A. Allen, Bull. Amer.

Mus. Nat. Hist., 16:262, August 18, type from Eten, Piura, Peru.

_Didelphis marsupialis battyi_ Thomas.

1902. _Didelphis marsupialis battyi_ Thomas, Novitates Zoologicae, 9:137, April 10, type from Coiba Island, Panama.

_Didelphis marsupialis particeps_ Goldman.

1917. _Didelphis marsupialis particeps_ Goldman, Proc. Biol.