Range.—Eastern Ontario and western Quebec from Hudson Bay southward to the Great Lakes and into northwestern New York. See [fig. 47]. Zonal range: Transition and Canadian.
Description.—Size medium; back from near Clay Color to near Cinnamon-Buff with admixture of black hair usually forming a dorsal band; sides from near Clay Color to near Cinnamon-Buff and lighter than back; lateral line usually distinct, and clear Cinnamon-Buff; belly white, sometimes with slight suffusion of Cinnamon-Buff mid-ventrally; tail bicolored, brownish to brownish-black above, grayish-white to yellowish-white below; ears dark, sometimes flecked with color of the sides, edged with Cinnamon-Buff; feet grayish-white above; auditory bullae large, relatively broad and flat; incisive foramina relatively short and narrow, widest posteriorly; zygomata not widely bowed outward; mastoid region relatively wide; frontal region well inflated; nasals relatively narrow, short, and parallel sided.
Comparisons.—From Zapus hudsonius hudsonius, Z. h. canadensis differs as follows: Upper parts generally dull averaging lighter, less black tipped hair; sides also lighter with less suffusion of dark hair; frontal region more inflated; mastoid region averaging broader; auditory bullae broader; distance from incisors to postpalatal notch averaging slightly longer.
For comparison with Zapus hudsonius acadicus, Zapus hudsonius ladas, and Zapus hudsonius americanus see accounts of those subspecies.
Remarks.—Bole and Moulthrop (1942:165) refer 2 specimens from Elba, New York, to Z. h. hardyi (= acadicus); they are more nearly like Z. h. canadensis in size and shape of the auditory bullae and general color of the pelage. A specimen from Spectacle Pond, New York, has the narrow pterygoid fossae and relatively narrow auditory bullae of Z. h. acadicus and the relatively short, narrow incisive foramina, inflated frontal region, and color of Z. h. canadensis to which the specimen is here referred. Intergradation is noted also in animals from Schreiber, Ontario. They resemble Zapus hudsonius hudsonius in their darker coloration and shape of auditory bullae but in the remainder of the characters studied resemble Z. h. canadensis to which they are referred. Specimens from Notre Dame de la Dore and 1/2 mi. N Mistassini Post, Quebec, in size and shape of the auditory bullae and in width of the pterygoid fossae, closely approach Z. h. ladas but in color, distinct dorsal band, and in narrower zygomata are all nearest Z. h. canadensis to which subspecies they are here referred.
Zapus hudsonius ontarioensis Anderson (1942:59) from eastern Ontario was based chiefly, in comparison with Z. h. canadensis, upon, “dorsal stripe less distinct and sides somewhat duller yellowish with more admixture of blackish hairs.” Examination of 68 of the 69 specimens from the type locality shows that 58 are subadult and in subadult pelage. Individuals which are adult are indistinguishable in color of pelage and in cranial features from comparable material from southern Quebec. Z. h. ontarioensis is, therefore, considered to be a synonym of Z. h. canadensis.
Specimens examined.—Total, 123, distributed as follows:
New York: Franklin Co.: Spectacle Pond, Brighton Township, 2 (AMNH). Genesee Co.: Elba, 2 (Clev. MNH).
Ontario: Schreiber, 2 (NMC); Franz, 5 (MVZ); Pancake Bay, Algoma District, 68 (NMC); Maclennan, Algoma District, 3 (ROM); Cache Lake, Algonquin Park, 1 (MVZ); Experimental Farm, Ottawa, 1 (NMC); Dows Swamp, Ottawa, 1 (NMC); Apple Hill, 1 (NMC); Clear Lake, Arden, 1 (NMC); Athens, 1 (NMC); Aurora, 4 (Clev. MNH); Pattageville, Toronto, 1; Lorne Park, Toronto, 1 (NMC); Credit, 2 (NMC); Pickering, 1 (MVZ); Preston, 1 (NMC); St. Thomas, 1 (NMC).
Quebec: Notre Dame de la Dore, 3 (NMC); 1/2 mi. N Mistassini Post, 1 (NMC); Lake Albanel, 1 (NMC); St. Felicien, 3 (NMC); Valcartier, 8 (NMC); Kiamika Lake, 4 (NMC); Ste. Veronique, 2 (NMC); Val Jalbert, 2 (NMC); St. Methode, 1 (NMC).