Current status of rodents on islands in the Gulf of California

Abstract

On islands in the Gulf of California, many species and subspecies of rodents are relict species, restricted to the islands, and now considered extinct or verging on extinction. From 1991 to 1999, each island was surveyed and an average of 15 work-nights were spent on each island, for a total of 15,000 trap-nights. A Fourier series was used to estimate population density. Five native taxa are now considered extinct (C haetodipus baileyi fornicatus, Peromyscus guardia mejiae, P. g. harbinsoni, P. pembertoni, and Neotoma bunkeri). Two species are at risk of extinction ( Dipodomys insularis and Neotoma albigula varia). The most probable cause for extinction is the introduction of nonnative species, specifically cats. We believe that the most vulnerable rodent populations of the islands in the Gulf of California to non-native species are Neotoma lepida latirostra on Danzante island and Neotoma lepida abbreviata on San Francisco island, both in the state of Baja California Sur.