In Tamaulipas the first exploration directed in substantial measure
toward finding out about the mammalian fauna, at least as far as I
know, was made by Dr. L. Berlandier, who traveled mainly in the
northern half of the state. His collections provided specimens of
several previously unknown mammals, which were described by Baird
(1858). The original manuscript of Berlandier never has been published.
About 1880 Dr. E. Palmer collected mammals in the southern part of
Tamaulipas, in the area around Tampico. The results of his exploration
were reported by J. A. Allen (1881). E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman
twice collected in Tamaulipas (Goldman, 1951). In 1898 they visited and
collected mammals in the southern part of the state, around Tampico,
Altamira, Victoria, Forlon, and Miquihuana. In 1901-1902 they visited
the area between Nuevo Laredo and Bagdad, then went south to Soto la
Marina and Victoria. From their collections several species and
subspecies have been described. Between 1910 and the early 1920's
little was done in the way of scientific exploration because of the
Mexican Revolution.
From 1930 on, several expeditions yielded new information about the
native mammals. In that year L. B. Kellum visited the Sierra San
Carlos. The results were reported by Dice (1937). Another important
collection from Tamaulipas was made by Marian Martin in the area of
Gomez Farias. Mammals collected by her were reported by Goodwin (1954).
Hooper (1953) also reported specimens from Gomez Farias but included in
his report records of mammals collected in other areas as well. In 1950
E. R. Hall and C. von Wedel made a trip to the barrier beach in the
northeastern part of the state and collected several kinds of mammals
among which three were described as new by Hall (1951).
The report here presented is based upon specimens in the Museum of
Natural History of The University of Kansas that were collected mainly
by the persons named beyond. Gerd H. Heinrich and his wife Hilda
collected in 1952 and 1953 in the areas around Miquihuana, Ciudad
Victoria, Soto la Marina, Sierra de Tamaulipas, and Altamira. W. J.
Schaldach collected in 1949 and 1950 in the Sierra Madre Oriental south
of Ciudad Victoria; he returned to Tamaulipas in 1954 in company with
V. Grissino and worked in the Sierra Madre Oriental south and north of
Ciudad Victoria. In 1961 P. L. Clifton and J. H. Bodley collected in
the northwestern part of the state and in the western part, around
Tula, Nicolas, and Tajada. Some students and staff members of the
Museum have occasionally collected in Tamaulipas.
As a result of all the mentioned expeditions and others, 32 species and
subspecies have been described with type localities in Tamaulipas. They
are: