Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Infraordo: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohors: Eutheria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Euarchontoglires
Ordo: Rodentia
Subordo: Myomorpha
Superfamilia: Muroidea
Familia: Cricetidae
Subfamilia: Neotominae
Tribus: Baiomyini
Genus: Scotinomys
Species: Scotinomys teguina
Name
Scotinomys teguina (Alston, 1876)
Holotype: BMNH 43.6.13.2, adult indet., skin and partial skull.
Type locality: “Coban [=Cobán], [Alta Verapaz Dept.,] Guatemala.”
Combinations
Hesperomys teguina Alston, 1876: 755 [original combination]
Akodon teguina: Bangs, 1902: 40 [subsequent combination]
Scotinomys teguina: Thomas, 1913: 409 [subsequent combination]
Synonyms
Scotinomys teguina episcopi Enders & Pearson, 1939: 1
Holotype: ANSP 18454, adult ♂, skin and skull.
Type locality: “Siola, Rio Colorado, which is a tributary of Rio Chiriquí Viejo, 10 miles west-northwest El Volcan Post Office, Province de Chiriquí, Panama. Altitude 4100 feet.”
Scotinomys teguina garichensis Enders & Pearson, 1939: 2
Holotype: ANSP 18406, adult ♀, skin and skull.
Type locality: “Rio Gariché, 5 miles southwest of El Volcan Post Office, Province de Chiriquí, Panama. Altitude 3200 feet.”
Scotinomys teguina leridensis Enders & Pearson, 1939: 3
Holotype: ANSP 18483, adult ♀, skin and skull.
Type locality: “Casita Alta, Finca Lerida, Boquete, Province de Chiriquí, Panama. Altitude 7000 feet.”
References
Primary references
Alston, E.R. 1892. On two new species of Hesperomys. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 7: 755–757.
Enders, R.K. & Pearson, O.P. 1939. Three new rodent subspecies of Scotinomys from Chiriquí, Panama. Notulae Naturae of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 34: 1–4. Reference page.
Links
Scotinomys teguina in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
Reid, F., Pino, J. & Samudio, R. 2016. IUCN: Scotinomys teguina (Least Concern). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T20052A22390040. 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T20052A22390040.en
Vernacular names
English: Short-tailed Singing Mouse
Alston's brown mouse, also called Alston's singing mouse, short-tailed singing mouse, or singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina), is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.[2] It is found in Central America, from Chiapas, Mexico, to western Panama.
This species produces vocalizations in both the sonic and ultrasonic range that are thought to be an important component of its communication behavior.[3][4]
Contents
1 Distribution and habitat
2 Description
3 Behavior
4 References
Distribution and habitat
S. teguina is exclusively found in the highland forests of Central America, from Chiapas, Mexico to western Panama, at elevations between 1100 and 2950 meters.[5] Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. This rodent prefers wet habitats with subtropical climates, and is commonly observed in grassy clearings and rocky areas at the forest edge. S. teguina is diurnal in the wild. In laboratory settings, it is predominantly active in the morning, with decreasing activity in the afternoon to evening hours.
Description
S. teguina is small (10–13 grams), with a dark coat, and a short tail. Its underparts are dark gray-brown to orange-brown. The tail is blackish and lightly haired and its feet are black. It also emits a noticeably strong, musky odor.[3]
Behavior
S. teguina is predominantly insectivorous, feeding on beetles and other small insects. Additionally, seeds and fruits make up a small portion of its diet.[5]
Male Alston's singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina) singing to female in estrus
S. teguina is often recognized for its unique vocalization behavior. Both males and females produce vocalizations which are characterized by singing bouts containing both sonic and ultrasonic elements. Male songs tend to be longer than females, but seem to share similar spectral characteristics.[4] Although ultrasonic vocalizations have been demonstrated in numerous rodent species, few display vocalizing bouts as continuous and stereotyped as S. teguina. Because of their length and complexity, these vocalizations have been described as "song".[5] When singing, the mouse rears on its hind legs and extends its neck, facing upward while producing a stereotypical call of up to 10 seconds. The song is loud, with components audible to humans typically occurring towards the end of the call. The exact function of the singing behavior is not yet well understood, but it is believed to play an important role in social communication. For this reason, a growing interest has emerged in studying S. teguina in laboratory settings as a potential model for animal language in mammalian species. Stereotypical calls may provide an adaptive mechanism for the localization of conspecifics, and vocalizations in the ultrasonic range are typically inaudible to most predators. Different brain systems are responsible for the melody of the songs and the coordination of duets with another mouse.[6] The functional role of FOXP2 expression in S. teguina and other vocalizing rodent species has been examined.[7]
Male Alston's singing mice sing to attract mates and to warn off other males of their species from their territories. They react to songs of the related, larger, competing species, S. xerampelinus by silently retreating.[8][9]
S. teguina uses olfactory cues to convey information about sex, reproductive status, and conspecifics. Much of this information in transmitted through secretions of the midventral sebaceous gland.[10]
References
Reid, F.; Pino, J.; Samudio, R. (2016). "Scotinomys teguina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T20052A22390040. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T20052A22390040.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1085. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Reid, Fiona A. (1997): "A field guide to the mammals of central america and southeast mexico. Oxford University Press, New York
Miller, J. R.; Engstrom, M. D. (2007). "Vocal stereotypy and singing behavior in baiomyine mice". Journal of Mammalogy. 88 (6): 1447–1465. doi:10.1644/06-mamm-a-386r.1.
Hooper, Emmet T., and Carleton Michael D. (1976): Reproduction, growth and development in two contiguously allopatric rodent species, genus Scotinomys. Miscellaneous Publications Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 665:1–31.
Okobi, D. E.; Banerjee, A.; Matheson, A. M. M.; Phelps, S. M.; Long, M. A. (2019). "Motor cortical control of vocal interaction in neotropical singing mice". Science. 363 (6430): 983–988. doi:10.1126/science.aau9480. PMID 30819963.
Campbell P. et al (2009): Conservation and diversity of foxp2 expression in muroid rodents: functional implications. The journal of Comparative Neurology 512:84–100.
Arnold, C. (2013-10-04). "Musical Mice Sing to Fend Off Rivals". National Geographic. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
Pasch, B.; Bolker, B. M.; Phelps, S. M. (2013-09-09). "Interspecific Dominance Via Vocal Interactions Mediates Altitudinal Zonation in Neotropical Singing Mice" (PDF). The American Naturalist. The American Society of Naturalists. 182 (5): E161–E173. doi:10.1086/673263. hdl:2152/31196. PMID 24107377. S2CID 20347895.
Fernández-Vargas M., Tang-Martínez Z. and Phelps S. M. (2008): Olfactory responses of neotropical short-tailed singing mice, scotinomys teguina, to odors of the mid-ventral sebaceous gland: discrimination of conspecifics, gender and female reproductive condition. Journal of Chemical Ecology 34:429–437
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