This species occurs in practically all of the state, but as in most
other areas actual records are few; only two specimens, both males,
have been examined. One was taken at Jaumave, in a steel-trap baited
with fresh egg. It weighed 325 grams. The other was taken in the
vicinity of Altamira and weighed 434 grams.
Two subspecies have been reported from Tamaulipas; _Mustela frenata
frenata_ that occurs in the central and northern parts of the state and
_M. f. tropicalis_ that occurs in the tropical area in the southern
part of the state.
=Mustela frenata frenata= Lichtenstein
1831. _Mustela frenata_ Lichtenstein, Darstellung neuer oder
wenig bekannter Saeugethiere ..., pl. 42 and corresponding
text, unpaged, type from Ciudad Mexico, Mexico.
1877. _Putorius mexicanus_ Coues, Fur-bearing animals, U. S.
Geol. Surv. Territories, Misc. Publ., 8:42, a _nomen nudum_
[cited by Coues in synonymy as "_Putorius mexicanus_,
Berlandier, MMS. ic. ined. 4 (Tamaulipas and Matamoras)"].
_Distribution in Tamaulipas._--Central and northern parts of
state.
The specimen from Jaumave is clearly _M. f. frenata_, but the other
from northwest of Altamira has many characters of the subspecies _M. f.
tropicalis_ and is an intergrade between the two subspecies. In cranial
features and in measurements the animal is like _frenata_. For example:
least width of palate more than length of P4; distance between anterior
border of auditory bulla and foramen ovale equal to the width of four
(including I3) upper incisors; depth of tympanic bulla less than
distance between it and foramen ovale; length of tail amounting to 82
per cent of length of head and body. The coloration is more nearly like
that of _tropicalis_. For example, the region between the ears and the
region behind the ears as far as the shoulders is almost black; hairs
of the soles of the forefeet are of the same color as in _tropicalis_.
But, width of the whitish underparts amounts to 53 per cent of the
circumference of the body; in this respect the specimen is like
_frenata_. I refer the specimen to _frenata_ because, to me, it is
slightly more nearly like it.
_Measurements._--The male from 6 mi. N, 6 mi. W Altamira
affords measurements as follows: 500; 226; 53; 23; basilar
length (Hensel), 49.5; breadth of rostrum, 14.3;
interorbital constriction, 11.9; orbitonasal length, 15.2;
mastoid breadth, 27.2; zygomatic breadth, 32.4; tympanic
bullae, length, 16.8; breadth, 7.5; length of m1, 5.7; P4,
lateral length, 5.4, medial, 5.8; M1, breadth, 4.6, length,
2.4; depth of skull at anterior edge of basioccipital, 14.7.
_Records of occurrence._--Specimens examined, 2: Jaumave,
2400 ft., 1; 6 mi. N, 6 mi. W Altamira, 1.
Additional records (Hall, 1951:347): Matamoros; Miquihuana.
=Mustela frenata tropicalis= (Merriam)
1896. _Putorius tropicalis_ Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 11:30,
June 30, type from Jico, Veracruz.
_Distribution in Tamaulipas._--Tropical area in south part
of state; reported only from 50 mi. south of Ciudad Victoria
(Hall, 1951:366).
=Eira barbara senex= (Thomas)