Neotoma leucodon. This photograph of the White-toothed Woodrat was taken by Carl S. Lieb at the University of Texas at El Paso's Indio Mountains Research Station, Hudspeth Co., TX.
With the ability to look at molecular data, systematists are finding that organisms traditionally considered to represent single species sometimes consist of two or more species. These "cryptic species" are basically the same morphologically, but the genetic differences are as great as between morphologically recognized species. The White-toothed Woodrat originally was named as a separate species, but when more specimens became available, seemed to belong to the same species as the earlier-named White-throated Woodrat (Neotoma albigula). It has been only recently that molecular differences have resulted in the current taxonomic setup.
The southern portion of the range map is problematical since where the two species come together in the south is unknown.
Last Update: 20 Jul 2009