The Chihuahuan pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus eremicus'') is a species of

heteromyid Heteromyidae is a family of rodents consisting of kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, pocket mice and spiny pocket mice. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, though species within the gen ...

rodent found in the southwestern

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 ...

and

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 ...

. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the

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 ve ...

(''C. pencillatus''), but was determined to be a distinct species in 1996, following analysis of its

mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...

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 rock pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus intermedius'') is one of 19 species of pocket mice in the genus ''Chaetodipus''. It is sometimes grouped in the genus ''Perognathus''. Description Found mainly in rocky outcrops in the deserts of the southwes ...

. 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 broomweed, mesquite, and

creosotebush ''Larrea tridentata'', called creosote bush and greasewood as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb, and ''gobernadora'' (Spanish for "governess") in Mexico, due to its ability to secure more water by inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. In S ...

, although they will also eat grasses when seeds are in short supply. They are nocturnal, spending the day in burrows comprising a central chamber from which numerous tunnels fan out to separate openings on the surface. The multiple openings to the burrow are closed during the day. They are most active during the spring, and may enter

torpor Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the time ...

for a few days at a time during the winter months. Breeding occurs from February to August, with most young being born around May. Litters typically consist of three or four young.

Distribution and habitat

The Chihuahuan desert mouse inhabits the

Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower P ...

from western

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and southern

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

in the United States, through northern and central Mexico as far as

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...

. It inhabits desert scrubland, preferring areas with soft or sandy soil, although it may occasionally be found in grassland or by river banks. The dominant vegetation in its habitat normally consists of plants such as mesquite, creosotebush,

catclaw Cat's claw or cat's claws (also ''uña de gato'' or ''unha de gato'' in Spanish or Portuguese) is a common name for several plants: * ''Acacia greggii'', a tree species native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico * '' Acacia plumo ...

, and prickly pears. Two subspecies are recognised: * ''Chaetodipus eremicus eremicus'' - majority of range * ''Chaetodipus eremicus atrodorsalis'' - San Luis Potosí

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5097314 Chaetodipus Mouse, Chihuahuan Desert Pocket Mammals of the United States Mammals described in 1898