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Pocket Mice
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] |
Kangaroo Rat
Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus ''Dipodomys'', are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this mode of locomotion independently, like several other clades of rodents (e.g. dipodids and hopping mice). Description Kangaroo rats are four or five-toed heteromyid rodents with big hind legs, small front legs, and relatively large heads. Adults typically weigh between Nader, I.A. 1978"Kangaroo rats: Intraspecific Variation in ''Dipodomus spectabilis'' Merriami and ''Dipodomys deserti'' Stephens" ''Illinois biological monographs''; 49: 1-116. Chicago, University of Illinois Press. The tails of kangaroo rats are longer than both their bodies and their heads. Another notable feature of kangaroo rats is their fur-lined cheek pouches, which are used for storing food. The coloration of kangaroo rats varies from cinnamon buff to dark gray, dep ... [...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] |
Megaannum
A year or annus is the orbital period of a planetary body, for example, the Earth, moving in its orbit around the Sun. Due to the Earth's axial tilt, the course of a year sees the passing of the seasons, marked by change in weather, the hours of daylight, and, consequently, vegetation and soil fertility. In temperate and subpolar regions around the planet, four seasons are generally recognized: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In tropical and subtropical regions, several geographical sectors do not present defined seasons; but in the seasonal tropics, the annual wet and dry seasons are recognized and tracked. A calendar year is an approximation of the number of days of the Earth's orbital period, as counted in a given calendar. The Gregorian calendar, or modern calendar, presents its calendar year to be either a common year of 365 days or a leap year of 366 days, as do the Julian calendars. For the Gregorian calendar, the average length of the calendar year (the mean yea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sister Group
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and taxon B are sister groups to each other. Taxa A and B, together with any other extant or extinct descendants of their most recent common ancestor (MRCA), form a monophyletic group, the clade AB. Clade AB and taxon C are also sister groups. Taxa A, B, and C, together with all other descendants of their MRCA form the clade ABC. The whole clade ABC is itself a subtree of a larger tree which offers yet more sister group relationships, both among the leaves and among larger, more deeply rooted clades. The tree structure shown connects through its root to the rest of the universal tree of life. In cladistic standards, taxa A, B, and C may represent specimens, species, genera, or any other taxonomic units. If A and B are at the same taxonomic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desert Pocket Mouse
The desert pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus penicillatus'') is a North American species of heteromyid rodent found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. True to its common name, the medium-sized desert pocket mouse prefers sandy, sparsely vegetated desert environments. Description ''Chaetodipus penicillatus'' is a medium-sized pocket mouse. The total length of adults usually does not exceed 180 mm. Coloration is grayish brown to yellowish gray and may be sprinkled with black. The pelage is coarse. This species lacks rump spines but has numerous, elongate rump hairs which are darker dorsally and lighter laterally. There is no lateral line. The underparts of the body and tail are whitish. The tail is heavily crested and is longer than the head and body, with average tail length being 109 mm. The soles of the hind feet are whitish and average hind foot length is 25 mm. Geographic range and habitat ''Chaetodipus penicillatus'' occurs in the southwestern United S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jojoba
Jojoba (; botanical name: ''Simmondsia chinensis'')also commonly called goat nut, deer nut, pignut, wild hazel, quinine nut, coffeeberry, and gray box bushis native to the Southwestern United States. ''Simmondsia chinensis'' is the sole species of the family Simmondsiaceae, placed in the order Caryophyllales. Jojoba is grown commercially to produce jojoba oil, a liquid wax ester extracted from its seed. Distribution The plant is a native shrub of the Sonoran Desert, Colorado Desert, Baja California Desert, and California chaparral and woodlands habitats in the Peninsular Ranges and San Jacinto Mountains. It is found in southern California, Arizona, and Utah (U.S.), and Baja California state (Mexico). Jojoba is endemic to North America, and occupies an area of approximately between latitudes 25° and 31° North and between longitudes 109° and 117° West. Description ''Simmondsia chinensis'', or jojoba, typically grows to tall, with a broad, dense crown, but there have bee ... [...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] |
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizona and California). It is the hottest desert in both Mexico and the United States. It has an area of . In phytogeography, the Sonoran Desert is within the Sonoran Floristic province of the Madrean Region of southwestern North America, part of the Holarctic realm of the northern Western Hemisphere. The desert contains a variety of unique endemic plants and animals, notably, the saguaro (''Carnegiea gigantea'') and organ pipe cactus (''Stenocereus thurberi''). The Sonoran Desert is clearly distinct from nearby deserts (e.g., the Great Basin, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts) because it provides subtropical warmth in winter and two seasons of rainfall (in contrast, for example, to the Mojave's dry summers and cold winters). This creates an ex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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