NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Nelson's Spiny Pocket Mouse
Heteromys nelsoni Merriam, 1902
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
Nelson's spiny pocket mouse (Heteromys nelsoni) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Mexico and Guatemala. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Wikipedia contributors, Nelson's spiny pocket mouse; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:44:01.253750+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Heteromys nelsoni Merriam, 1902
- Name authority
- Merriam, 1902
- Common name
- Nelson's Spiny Pocket Mouse
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Heteromyidae
- Genus
- Heteromys
- 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
- suborderCastorimorpha A. E. Wood, 1955
- familyHeteromyidae Gray, 1868
- subfamilyHeteromyinae Gray, 1868
- genusHeteromys Desmarest, 1817
- speciesHeteromys nelsoni Merriam, 1902
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Heteromys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Paraguaná Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys oasicus Anderson, 2003 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ecuadoran Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys teleus Anderson & Jarrín-Valladares, 2002 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gaumer's Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys gaumeri J. A. Allen & Chapman, 1897 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mexican Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys irroratus Gray, 1868 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Painted Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys pictus Thomas, 1893 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Salvin's Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys salvini Thomas, 1893 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Jaliscan Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys spectabilis (Genoways, 1971) | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
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=625233 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:6LSHR. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.