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Perognathinae
Perognathinae is a subfamily of rodents consisting of two genera of pocket mice. Most species live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined cheek pouches to their burrows. Description There are about twenty-six members of the subfamily Perognathinae divided among two genera. They are all small rodents. Adaptations include partially fused vertebrae in the neck, short fore limbs and much enlarged bullae (bubble-shaped bones in the skull). The dental formula is 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3 making twenty teeth in total. The molars have two-lobed cusps. The upper incisors are grooved and the enamel on the molars is quickly worn away by chewing leaving the dentine exposed. The check teeth have roots. Fur-lined cheek pouches are a feature across the family Heteromyidae. They have openings near the mouth and extend backwards along the sides of the neck. The fur on the animal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heteromyinae
Heteromyinae is a subfamily of rodents in the family Heteromyidae, commonly known as spiny pocket mice. It contains a single extant genus, ''Heteromys'', as well as the extinct genera ''Diprionomys'' and ''Metaliomys''. ''Heteromys'' was recently enlarged by inclusion of the members of formerly recognized heteromyine genus ''Liomys'', which was found to be paraphyletic. Taxonomy Heteromyinae is the sister group of Perognathinae Perognathinae is a subfamily of rodents consisting of two genera of pocket mice. Most species live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carr ...; the two are estimated to have split about 22-23 million years ( Ma) ago. The most recent common ancestor of extant heteromyines is thought to have lived 12-15 Ma ago; the basal species in the subfamily is '' H. salvini''. References Heteromyidae Taxa named by John Edward Gray Mammal subfamilie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chaetodipus
''Chaetodipus'' is a genus of pocket mouse containing 17 species endemic to the United States and Mexico. Like other members of their family such as pocket mice in the genus ''Perognathus'', they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice. Characteristics Members of this genus range in size from 80 to 125 mm (head and body) and weigh 15–47 grams (Nowak, 1999). Unlike the silky pocket mice (genus ''Perognathus''), most species of the genus ''Chaetodipus'' have harsh pelage with some bordering on spiny hair. They tend to be found in arid habitats where they feed on seeds, vegetation, and insects (Nowak, 1999). Females give birth to a litter of 2–9 young after a gestation period of just under a month. The longest recorded life span is 8 years and 4 months (Nowak, 1999). Species *'' Chaetodipus arenarius'' – Little desert pocket mouse *'' Chaetodipus artus'' – Narrow-skulled pocket mouse *'' Chaetodipus baileyi'' – Bailey's pocket mouse *'' Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bailey's Pocket Mouse
Bailey's pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus baileyi'') is a species of rodent of the subfamily Perognathinae, family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora in Mexico and in California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States. Description Bailey's pocket mouse has an adult length of between , males being larger than females. Males average while females average . Taxonomy Bailey's pocket mouse was first described by Clinton Hart Merriam in 1894 using a specimen collected by Vernon Bailey in Magdalena, Mexico on 3 November 1889. Ecology This pocket mouse lives in a burrow and is nocturnal. When it ventures into the open to search for food it is cautious, remaining as far as possible under cover or in the shadow of plants. When the risk of predation by owls is high it tries to avoid crossing open ground between shrubs, especially on moonlit nights. Pocket mice feed on seeds which they carry in fur lined pouches on the outside of their cheeks, taking them b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chaetodipus Spinatus
The spiny pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus spinatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae and order Rodentia. It is found in Baja California in Mexico and in Arizona, California and Nevada. Description The spiny pocket mouse has long hairs and spines on its back that are flexible. These spines differentiates ''C. spinatus'' from pocket mice in other genera.Original publication Their ears are small and round. They have long tails that are 126% of the length of their head and body. Their coat colors vary among islands but are generally brown on the tops of their bodies and tan on their sides. A spiny pocket mouse weighs about . Their body length ranges from . Distribution and habitat Spiny pocket mice are found in Southern Nevada, and in the islands of the G ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dalquest's Pocket Mouse
Dalquest's pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus dalquesti'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae, sometimes viewed as a subspecies of '' Chaetodipus ammophilus''. It is endemic to Mexico. The pocket mouse is named after Walter W. Dalquest (1917-2000), an American zoologist associated with the American Museum of Natural History and Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these .... References Dalquest's Pocket Mouse Endemic fauna of the Baja California Peninsula Endemic mammals of Mexico Mammals described in 1976 Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Heteromyidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
California Pocket Mouse
The California pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus californicus'') is a species of nocturnal and primarily solitary rodent in the family Heteromyidae. Distribution ''Chaetodipus californicus'' is native to California in the western United States and northern Baja California state in north-western Mexico. It is found in habitats, such as California chaparral and woodlands, in Southern California throughout the Southern Sierra Nevada, Southern California Coast Ranges, and the Transverse Ranges; and in Southern California and northern Baja California in the Peninsular Ranges. Eight known subspecies of ''C. californicus'' exist throughout its distribution''.'' They are ''C. c. californicus'', ''C. c. femoralis'', ''C. c. dispar'', ''C. c. mesopolius'', ''C. c. ochrus'', ''C. c. bernandinus'', ''C. c. bensoni'', and ''C. c. merinensis''. They can be found around Berkeley in Alameda Co.; Dulzura, San Diego Co.; Carpenteria, Santa Barbara Co.; Sierra San Pedro Martir, Baja California; Santi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narrow-skulled Pocket Mouse
The narrow-skulled pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus artus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to western Mexico, living west of the Sierra Madre Occidental crest. Description The narrow-skulled pocket mouse is a medium-sized species growing to a length of about including a tail of about . Males are slightly larger than females. The skull is smaller and narrower than that of Goldman's pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus goldmani'') which is native to the same parts of Mexico. Apart from the skull, other features which distinguish it from Goldman's pocket mouse include a less hairy but more scaly tail with a wider dorsal stripe, a smaller total length, darker ears and darker, less-grizzled dorsal fur. In the drainage of the Rio Septentrion this species has a darker coat than elsewhere. The reason for this may lie in the fact that the soil is darker in this area and pale individuals are more easily spotted by diurnal predators. It feeds on seeds. Distribution a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Little Desert Pocket Mouse
The little desert pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus arenarius'') is a species of small rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Baja California in Mexico. Description The little desert pocket mouse reaches a length of about including a tail of , with males being slightly larger than females. The fur is soft and fairly silky and there are none of the spines found in some related species though there may be a few soft bristles on the rump. The ears are dark and there is a tiny patch of white hairs at their base. The color of the dorsal surface varies from pale gray or pale buff to dark brown, and there may be some dark-tipped guard hairs giving a grizzled appearance. The upper half of the tail matches the dorsal color while the underparts of the body, the feet and lower side of the tail are white or cream-colored. There may be a buff-colored line separating the upper parts from the underparts, but it is faint or missing in some populations. Distribution and habitat The little ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chihuahuan Pocket Mouse
The Chihuahuan pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus eremicus'') is a species of Heteromyidae, heteromyid rodent found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the desert pocket mouse (''C. pencillatus''), but was determined to be a distinct species in 1996, following analysis of its mitochondrial DNA. Description Chihuahuan pocket mice are moderately sized rodents, with a total adult length of , including the tail, and weighing . The fur is buff sprinkled with black over the back and sides, and white on the tail and underparts. The hairs on the rump are long and slender, but there are no spines, such as are present on the otherwise very similar rock pocket mouse. The tail is long, measuring , and ends in a large tuft of white fur. The mice are herbivorous, mainly feeding on the seeds of plants such as Gutierrezia sarothrae, broomweed, mesquite, and creosotebush, although they will also eat grasses when seeds are in short supply. They are noc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silky Pocket Mouse
The silky pocket mouse (''Perognathus flavus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in northern and central Mexico and the southwest region of the United States. It is a species of least concern, according to the IUCN, with no known major threats. The silky pocket mouse eats seeds, succulent parts of plants and nuts, and carries food in its cheek pouches. It lives in low valley bottoms with soft soils, among weeds and shrubs, where it burrows in the sand to bury seed caches. The species is more tolerant of harsh habitat conditions than other pocket mice. Description The silky pocket mouse is the smallest pocket mouse in the family Heteromyidae, though otherwise is very similar in appearance to the other members of the genus ''Perognathus''. Its relatively short tail, which is buff or dusky colored above and white below, does not have a tuft of hair at the tip and is always shorter than the combined length of the head and body, which average about . T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Perognathus
''Perognathus'' is a genus of pocket mouse. Like other members of their family they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice. Characteristics The silky pocket mice are small animals with soft pelage, long tails, and small feet compared to other heteromyids. They have long claws which are used for digging burrows and sifting sandy substrates for seeds. They have also been found to steal seeds from kangaroo rats' dens. They store these seeds in large hairy external cheek pouches. They are nocturnal and are found in arid habitats. They are not true hibernators, but will go into torpor and stay in their burrows for extended periods of time. Species *'' Perognathus alticola'' — White-eared pocket mouse *'' Perognathus amplus'' — Arizona pocket mouse *'' Perognathus fasciatus'' — Olive-backed pocket mouse *''Perognathus flavescens'' — Plains pocket mouse *'' Perognathus flavus'' — Silky pocket mouse *'' Perognathus inornatus'' — San Joaquin pocke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the land surface of the Earth is arid or semi-arid. This includes much of the polar regions, where little precipitation occurs, and which are sometimes called polar deserts or "cold deserts". Deserts can be classified by the amount of precipitation that falls, by the temperature that prevails, by the causes of desertification or by their geographical location. Deserts are formed by weathering processes as large variations in temperature between day and night put strains on the rocks, which consequently break in pieces. Although rain seldom occurs in deserts, there are occasional downpours that can result in flash floods. Rain falling on hot rocks can cause them to shatter, and the resulting fragments and rubble strewn over the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
