The Aztec mouse (''Peromyscus aztecus'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

in the family Cricetidae, native to southern Mexico and parts of Central America.

Description

The Aztec mouse is a typically sized member of its

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

, with a total length of , about half of which is made up by the tail. The fur is ochre mixed with black over the upper surface of the body, a brighter reddish color at the sides, and pale buff beneath. The tail is also paler on the underside, and often ends with a white tip. The feet are white, with hairs on the soles of the hindfeet, one of the features that allows it to be distinguished from the otherwise similar looking, and more widespread,

brush mouse The brush mouse (''Peromyscus boylii'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in mountainous areas of Mexico and the western United States at altitudes over . Description The brush mouse is medium-sized, with small ears a ...

Distribution and habitat

Aztec mice are found in three disjunct regions of southern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, in southern

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

and

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

, and in much of

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

. Four subspecies have been identified: * ''P. aztecus aztecus'' - the centers of

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

and Guerrero * ''P. aztecus cordillerae'' - El Salvador * ''P. aztecus evides'' -

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

* ''P. aztecus oaxacensis'' - extreme eastern Oaxaca,

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

, Guatemala, and Honduras The mice live in mountainous regions, between altitude. Here they are found in the limits of humid highland forests, ranging from

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

s to highland coniferous forest dominated by juniper and pine. They are also found in sugar cane and

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

plantations.

Biology

Aztec mice primarily eat grasses and seeds, although as much as a third of their diet may consist of insects at certain times of the year, including ants, crickets,

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s, and

weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and Herbivore, herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They b ...

s. Although precise details of their mating habits are unknown, pregnant females have been found from May to November, and litter sizes of up to five have been recorded.

Conservation status

The Aztec mouse is not a threatened species. Its

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation ...

is of

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

because its large distribution, a presumed large population, and its tolerance to various kinds of

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s. Since it lives in protected areas and no threat is apparent, it is unlikely to decline to levels of threatened species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q978822 Peromyscus Mammals of Mexico Rodents of Central America Rodents of North America Least concern biota of North America Mammals described in 1860 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot