A new deer from Costa Rica

VOL. XIV, PP, 35-37

APRIL

25, 1901

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

A NEW DEER FROM COSTA RICA.*

BY GERRIT

S.

MILLER,

^JR.

In

the original description of his

Cariacus

_clavatus,\ the Odocoileus truei of

Merriam, from

^the

Segovia River

_J, eastern

Honduras, ^Dr.

^F.

W. True recorded seven Costa Rican deer

in the

National Museum

collection,

which though

^of

unusually

large size,

he regarded

^as

not

_separable

from

the

Honduras

ani mal.

The

differences

between

the

deer

of the

two _regions

are so constant,

however,

^{that it}

now seems

_preferable to recognize the

Costa Rican form

as distinct. It

may ^{be known}

^as:

Odocoileus costaricensis_sp. nov.

Type.

Young

^adult

^male

(skin

and

_skull) No.

yMtf

^{United States} National

Museum.

CollectedinTalamanca, onthe easternside ofCosta Rica, betweenthe coast

and

thefoot of the Cordilleras, by ^{JoseC. Zele-} don, during^{the latter}part^of 1872orearly ^{in 1873.}

Characters. Considerably larger than Odocoileus truei Merriam,

and

general^color lighter

and more

_grizzled, particularly on sides of body.

Skull

and

^teethuniformlylarger

and more

robust than inthe

Honduras

animal. Antlersheavier and

more

_rugose.

*Published here by permission ^of the Secretary ^of the Smithsonian Institution.

fProc. U. S. Nat, Mus., XI, pp. ^{417-424. 1888.}

{Mr.^Chas. H.

Townsend who

collected the_originalspecimens informs

me

thatthey were taken ^{in the} open pine lands about 50 miles above the

mouth

of the river.

^Permanent

^dentition in place,butteeth practicallyunworn.

7 BIOL. Soc.

WASH.

VOL. XIV, 1901. (35)

36 Miller

A New Deer from

^Costa

^Rica.

Color. Dorsal surface a uniform, fine, but distinct grizzle of drab, black

and

buff, the individual hairs colored as follows: from base to slightlybeyond middle^drab, then after aratherabrupttransition,black to_tip, theblackarea interrupted

by

^asharply defined

band

_{of light}buff about2

mm.

in width.

The

buff is the predominating element ^{of the} grizzleexcept on crown, forehead, nape

and

middle of anterior portion ofback,

where

blackisin excess, without,however, forming any^defined dark markings. Sideslike back but the buff area on each hair is in creasedattheexpense ^{of the black.}

The

resulting ^{color is}

somewhat

paler

and

coarser _grizzle. Underparts mostly wood-brown, lighter on the neck, darkeronthe _belly. Region between hindlegs,

and

anill-de fined

median

linerunning forward^to chest, dull white.

The

white re appearsfaintlyoninnerside ofbothfront

and

hind_legs,butisirregular andill-defined,

and

_scarcelyextends

downward

tohock. Elsewherethe legsarewood-brown, faintlydarker on outer side. Tail _entirelywhite beneath,

cinnamon

above,

dusky

^attip. Earsgrayish externally, whit ish internally.

Cheeks

light wood-brown. Muzzle dusky.

A

_faintly

defined_pallid areaon throat between jaws. Hoofs _black, edged with horncolor.

A

second specimen ^isin very bleached, abraded coat. General color light buff, but _specklingof

back

andsidesstillevidentnotwithstanding theimperfect ^{condition of the hairs.} Front _legs

much

_paler than in the_type, butcolor of hind _legsnot sensibly^altered.

Skull. Skull _distinctly larger than that of Odocoileus truei but not otherwise tangibly ^different. In size

and

form it closely agrees with thatof the externally quite dissimilar ^Odocoileusthomasi

Merriam

from Chiapas.

The

basal length ⁱⁿ the type ^{of the latter is 230}

mm.,

in a second specimen^{220. In 0.} costaricensis the basal length ranges from 235 _{to 250,} andin 0. trueifrom200to220.*

Teeth.

The

_maxillary teeth are broader than in Odocoileus truei,

though^the toothrowisnot increasedinlength.

The

^increase inwidth

is especially noticeable ⁱⁿ the middle

permanent

premolar. Manclibu- larmolarspractically identical with those of the smaller animal, but premolars, particularly the^first,

much

_larger.

Antler*.

The

antlers

though

^{similar in} general form to those of the other

members

of thegroup^are

more

robust

and more

_{coarsely rugose} than inany ^{of the} allied species.

A

rudimentary prong ^is occasionally developed on inner face near middle.

Beyond

^thisregion the surface^of the anther issmooth.

Measurements. External

measurements

oftype (from well

made

_skin):

total length, 1400; tail vertebrae, 120; hind _{foot, 375; greatest} diameter of hoof, 50; earfrom crown, ^110.

Cranial

measurements

of type: greatest length, 250 _(264):f basal

*The

skull of OdocoileusnelsoniMerriam, alsofrom_Chiapas, isproba bly^ofaboutthe

same

sizeasthatof 0.truei. In the type (an

immature

male) the basal length^{of skull is197.}

f

Measurements

inparenthesis are those^ofthe_largestCostaRicanskull.

Miller

A New Deer from Costa Rica.

37

length, 237 (250); basilar length, 220 _(235);

median

palatal length, 155 (165); palatalwidthbetween anterior molars, 38 (46); least interorbital width, 57 (64): greatest width between lower rims of orbits, 101 _(112);

zygomaticbreadth,94.6 (108): mastoidbreadth, 74(86); occipitaldepth, 58 _(57); mandible, 190(195); upper toothrow (alveoli), 68 _(68);\ lower toothrow_(alveoli), 79_(82); length ^of the threelower premolars together (alveoli), 31 _(33).

Specimens examined.

Two

skins

and

four extra _skulls, all from Costa Rica.

Remarks. Inadditiontoitslarger^{size this} species ^differs from Odo- coileustruei in the _distinctly speckled back

and

sides. In the smaller animalthe_light subterminal bands on the back are broader and less strongly contrastedwith thedark_tips, while on the sides this element of the

marking

^{issoextendedas to} cover practically ^all of the visible part^of the hair.

As

aresult the sides are uniformly colored, without trace of gri/zle. This condition ^is repeated ⁱⁿ Odocoileus thomasi, the only species equalling 0. costaricensisinsize.

JType

^{of 0. truei:} upper toothrow (alveoli), 66; lower toothrow

(alveoli), 73; length^of the threelower premolars together (alveoli), 28.

In thetype^{of 0.} thomasi thecorresponding

measurements

are_70,80

and

32.