NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Western Jumping Mouse
Zapus princeps J. A. Allen, 1893
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The western jumping mouse (Zapus princeps), is a species of rodent in the family Zapodidae. It is found in Canada and the United States.
Western jumping mice evolved during the Pleistocene, possibly from the fossil species Zapus burti, which is known from the late Blancan. Their closest relatives appear to be Pacific jumping mice, with which they can still interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
Wikipedia contributors, Western jumping mouse; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:19:29.951856+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Zapus princeps J. A. Allen, 1893
- Name authority
- J. A. Allen, 1893
- Common name
- Western Jumping Mouse
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Dipodidae
- Genus
- Zapus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
- superfamilyDipodoidea Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
- familyDipodidae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
- subfamilyZapodinae Coues, 1875
- genusZapus Coues, 1875
- speciesZapus princeps J. A. Allen, 1893
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Zapus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Meadow Jumping MouseZapus hudsonius (Zimmermann, 1780) | DipodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pacific Jumping MouseZapus trinotatus Rhoads, 1895 | DipodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Zapus saltator J. A. Allen, 1899 J. A. Allen, 1899 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps cinereus Hall, 1931 Hall, 1931 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps minor Preble, 1899 Preble, 1899 | synonym |
| Zapus alleni Elliot, 1898 Elliot, 1898 | synonym |
| Zapus major Preble, 1899 Preble, 1899 | synonym |
| Zapus pacificus Merriam, 1897 Merriam, 1897 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps chrysogenys Lee & Durrant, 1960 Lee & Durrant, 1960 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps idahoensis Davis, 1934 Davis, 1934 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps kootenayensis Anderson, 1932 Anderson, 1932 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps palatinus Hall, 1931 Hall, 1931 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps utahensis Hall, 1934 Hall, 1934 | synonym |
| Zapus nevadensis Preble, 1899 Preble, 1899 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps curtatus Hall, 1931 Hall, 1931 | synonym |
| Zapus princeps oregonus Preble, 1899 Preble, 1899 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=180387 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:5CX7H. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.