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Wildlife Of Missouri
Missouri is home to a diversity of both flora and fauna. There is a large amount of fresh water present due to the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and Lake of the Ozarks, with numerous smaller tributary rivers, streams, and lakes. North of the Missouri River, the state is primarily rolling hills of the Great Plains, whereas south of the Missouri River, the state is dominated by the Oak-Hickory Central U.S. hardwood forest. Some of the native species found in Missouri are included below. Mammals * Opossum * Nine-banded armadillo * Muskrat * Beaver * Eastern mole * Little brown bat * Big brown bat * Mexican free-tailed bat * Silver-haired bat * Least shrew * American short-tailed shrew * Southern bog lemming * Meadow vole * Woodland vole * Hispid pocket mouse * Meadow jumping mouse * Plains harvest mouse * Deer mouse * Hispid cotton rat * Eastern woodrat * Marsh rice rat * Plains pocket gopher * American red squirrel * Southern flying squirrel * Eastern gray squirrel, Gray squ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mexican Free-tailed Bat
The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not attached to its uropatagium. It has been claimed to have the fastest horizontal speed of any animal, reaching top ground speeds over . It also flies the highest among bats, at altitudes around . It is regarded as one of the most abundant mammals in North America. Its proclivity towards roosting in huge numbers at relatively few locations makes it vulnerable to habitat destruction in spite of its abundance. For instance, up to 1.5 million bats reside under just one bridge in Austin. The Texas Legislature designated the Mexican free-tailed bat the state mammal (flying) in 1995. The bat is considered a species of special concern in California as a result of declining populations. Taxonomy The Mexican free-tailed bat was described as a new species in 1824 by French zoologist Isi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marsh Rice Rat
The marsh rice rat (''Oryzomys palustris'') is a semiaquatic North American rodent in the family Cricetidae. It usually occurs in wetland habitats, such as swamps and salt marshes. It is found mostly in the eastern and southern United States, from New Jersey and Kansas south to Florida and northeasternmost Tamaulipas, Mexico; its range previously extended further west and north, where it may have been a commensalism, commensal in corn-cultivating communities. Weighing about , the marsh rice rat is a medium-sized rodent that resembles the common black rat, black and brown rat. The upperparts are generally gray-brown, but are reddish in many Florida populations. The feet show several specializations for life in the water. The skull is large and flattened, and is short at the front. John Bachman discovered the marsh rice rat in 1816, and it was formally described in 1837. Several subspecies have been described since the 1890s, mainly from Florida, but disagreement exists over their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Woodrat
The eastern woodrat (''Neotoma floridana''), also known as the Florida woodrat or bush rat, is a pack rat native to the central and Eastern United States. It constructs large dens that may serve as nests for many generations and stores food in outlying caches for the winter. While widespread and not uncommon, it has declined or disappeared in several areas. Taxonomy Eight subspecies of the eastern woodrat are currently recognized: ''N. f. illinoensis'', ''N. f. floridana'' (the nominate), ''N. f. smalli'', ''N. f. baileyi'', ''N. f. pennsylvanica'', ''N. f. attwateri'', ''N. f. osagensis'', and ''N. f. rubida''. Of these, the Key Largo woodrat (''N. f. smalli'') is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. The Allegheny woodrat (''Neotoma magister'') was previously considered a subspecies but was elevated to species status based on comparative mitochondrial DNA analyses. Subspecies are thought to be descended from one species living along the Appalachian Plateau, which subsequently s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hispid Cotton Rat
The hispid cotton rat (''Sigmodon hispidus'') is a rodent species long thought to occur in parts of South America, Central America, and southern North America. However, recent taxonomic revisions, based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data, have split this widely distributed species into three separate species (''S. hispidus'', ''S. toltecus'', and ''S. hirsutus''). The distribution of ''S. hispidus'' ranges from Arizona in the west to Virginia to the east and from the Platte River in Nebraska in the north to, likely, the Rio Grande in the south, where it meets the northern edge of the distribution of '' S. toltecus'' (formerly ''S. h. toltecus''). Adult size is total length ; tail , frequently broken or stubbed; hind foot ; ear ; mass . They have been used as laboratory animals. Taxonomy The currently accepted scientific name for the hispid cotton rat is ''Sigmodon hispidus''. It is a member of the family Cricetidae.(Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoolo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deer Mouse
''Peromyscus'' is a genus of rodents. They are commonly referred to as deer mice or deermice, not to be confused with the chevrotain or "mouse deer". They are New World mice only distantly related to the common house and laboratory mouse, ''Mus musculus''. From this relative, ''Peromyscus'' species are distinguished by relatively larger eyes, and also often two-tone coloring, with darker colors over the dorsum (back), and white abdominal and limb hair-coloring. In reference to the coloring, the word ''Peromyscus'' comes from Greek words meaning "booted mouse". They are also accomplished jumpers and runners by comparison to house mice, and their common name of "deer mouse" (coined in 1833) is in reference to this agility. The most common species of deer mice in the continental United States are two closely related species, '' P. maniculatus'' and '' P. leucopus''. In the United States, ''Peromyscus'' is the most populous mammalian genus overall, and has become notorious in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plains Harvest Mouse
The plains harvest mouse (''Reithrodontomys montanus'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in northern Mexico and the central United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie .... Description The dorsal part of the Plains Harvest Mouse is grey with a darker grey mid-dorsal stipe, and the ventral part is whitish. Its tail has less and shorter hair, with the same color as the mid-dorsal stripe. The body length of the Plains Harvest Mouse is 54 mm to 146 mm total, and the tail is 20 mm to 69 mm. The body mass of a female Plains Harvest Mouse is 7.5 g to 13.5 g, slightly larger than the male at 6.5 g to 10.8 g. Its hair length is different by season, being 11 mm-12 mm in winter, and 6 mm-7 mm in summer. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meadow Jumping Mouse
The meadow jumping mouse (''Zapus hudsonius'') is the most widely distributed mouse in the family Zapodidae. Its range extends from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Great Plains west, and from the arctic tree lines in Canada and Alaska to the north, and Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, and New Mexico to the south. In mid-2014, the New Mexico subspecies of the meadow jumping mouse, ''Zapus hudsonius luteus'', was listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act.Meadow jumping mouse is not ‘resilient’ Albuquerque Journal, July 4, 2014 Albuquerque Journal, June 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hispid Pocket Mouse
The hispid pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus hispidus'') is a large pocket mouse native to the Great Plains region of North America. It is a member of the genus ''Chaetodipus''. Distribution The hispid pocket mouse occurs across the Great Plains from southern North Dakota to central Mexico, and west from the Missouri River to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. It is not found in far-eastern portions of the states Kansas or Missouri. Description This mouse is one of the largest pocket mice. Its pelage is bristley (''hispidus'' means "bristley"), yellowish with black hairs interspersed above. It has a distinct, buffy lateral line and white underparts. Subspecies There are four recognized subspecies: *''Chaetodipus hispidus hispidus'' Baird, 1858:421. Type locality "Charco Escondido (Tamaulipas), Mexico, (24 leagues W. of Matamoros.)" *''Chaetodipus hispidus paradoxus'' Merriam, 1889:24. Type locality "Trego County, Kansas." (''latirostris'' Rhodes, ''conditi'' Allen are synonyms.) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Woodland Vole
The woodland vole (''Microtus pinetorum'') is a small vole found in Eastern United States, eastern North America. It is also known as the pine vole. Characteristics The woodland vole has a head and body length ranging between with a short tail. Its weight ranges between . It has a brown (light or dark) dorsal region with a whitish or silvery underside. The eyes, external ears and tail are reduced to adapt to their partially subterranean lifestyle. Ecology The woodland vole lives throughout the eastern United States, ranging as far as Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They inhabit deciduous forests, dry fields, and apple orchards. Voles prefer wooded areas with high vertical vegetative stratification but also evergreen shrubs, ground cover, and old fallen logs. Deciduous forests with moist, friable soils are suitable for burrowing and voles are most abundant in these habitats. However, they can also be found in other habitats from dry fields to the edges of coastal bays.Whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meadow Vole
The eastern meadow vole (''Microtus pennsylvanicus''), sometimes called the field mouse or meadow mouse, is a North American vole found in eastern Canada and the United States. Its range extends farther south along the Atlantic coast. The western meadow vole, Florida salt marsh vole, and beach vole were formerly considered regional variants or subspecies of M. pennsylvanicus, but have all since been designated as distinct species. The eastern meadow vole is active year-round, usually at night. It also digs burrows, where it stores food for the winter and females give birth to their young. Although these animals tend to live close together, they are aggressive towards one another. This is particularly evident in males during the breeding season. They can cause damage to fruit trees, garden plants, and commercial grain crops. Taxonomy The species was formerly grouped with the western meadow vole (''M. drummondii'') and the Florida salt marsh vole (''M. dukecampbelli'') as a s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Bog Lemming
The southern bog lemming (''Synaptomys cooperi'') is a small North American lemming. Its range overlaps with the other species in genus ''Synaptomys'', the northern bog lemming, in southeastern Canada, but extends farther south. Description Southern bog lemmings are covered with thick, brownish fur on their backs that ranges in color from reddish to dark brown and have a grizzled appearance. The belly is silver-gray. The shallow-grooved upper incisors and a relatively shorter tail distinguish this species from other rodents. They have relatively large heads and small eyes. The ears barely show through puffy head fur. Southern bog lemmings have four toes and one small, nailed thumb on the forefeet and five toes on the hind feet. Females have six teats, which distinguishes this species from its closest relative, northern bog lemmings, which have eight. They have a large head, short legs, and a short tail which is lighter underneath. Their upper incisors are grooved. They are lon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
