Variation and Systematic Significance in Vertebral Counts in Some Rats of Muridae and Cricetidae (Preliminary Note)

Prenatal postcranial development in two species of sympatric Japanese wood mice (<i>Apodemus argenteus</i> and <i>A. speciosus</i>): a comparison of arboreal versus terrestrial congeners

“…The tail length is generally longer than the crown-rump length in A. argenteus, whereas it is equivalent to or shorter than the crown-rump length in A. speciosus [ 1 ]. It is reported that despite its significantly smaller body size, A. argenteus possesses more number of vertebrae [ 11 ], presumably reflecting more number of caudal vertebrae and longer tail in this species. This long tail is routinely employed for arboreal locomotion and facilitates improved balancing on tree substrates [ 5 ].…”