Heteromyidae is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

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 ...

s consisting of

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 thi ...

kangaroo mice A kangaroo mouse is either one of the two species of jumping mouse (genus ''Microdipodops'') native to the deserts of the southwestern United States, predominantly found in the state of Nevada. The name "kangaroo mouse" refers to the species' ex ...

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 i ...

and spiny pocket mice. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the

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 on ...

s and

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

s of western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, though species within the

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 ...

Heteromys ''Heteromys'' is a genus of rodents in the family Heteromyidae, commonly known as spiny pocket mice. It is the only extant genus in the subfamily Heteromyinae which also includes the extinct genera ''Diprionomys'' and ''Metaliomys''. ''Heteromys ...

'' are also found in

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s and their range extends down as far as northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. They feed mostly on

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined

cheek pouch Cheek pouches are pockets on both sides of the head of some mammals between the jaw and the cheek. They can be found on mammals including the platypus, some rodents, and most monkeys, as well as the marsupial koala. The cheek pouches of chipmunks ...

es to their burrows. Although they are very different in physical appearance, the closest relatives of the heteromyids are

pocket gopher Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. The roughly 41 speciesSearch results for "Geomyidae" on thASM Mammal Diversity Database are all endemic to North and Central America. They are ...

s in the family Geomyidae.

Description

There are about fifty-nine members of the family Heteromyidae divided among six

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. They are all small rodents, the largest being the

giant kangaroo rat The giant kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys ingens'') is an endangered species of heteromyid rodent endemic to California. Description The giant kangaroo rat, is the largest of over 20 species of kangaroo rats, which are small members of the rodent f ...

(''Dipodomys ingens'') with a body length of and a tail a little longer than this. In many species the tail is tufted and is mainly used for balance. Other adaptations include partially fused vertebrae in the neck, short fore limbs and much enlarged bullae (bubble-shaped bones in the skull). The skulls vary widely across the group but they are all thin and papery and do not have the robust cranial crests and ridges found on the skulls of members of the family Geomyidae. The skull has other peculiarities. There is an extra hole that penetrates the

rostrum Rostrum may refer to: * Any kind of a platform for a speaker: **dais **pulpit * Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects * Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ships * Ros ...

, distinctive occluded teeth and the

masseter muscle In human anatomy, the masseter is one of the muscles of mastication. Found only in mammals, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter. The most obvious muscle of mastication is the masseter muscle, since it ...

, which moves the lower jaw, is set far forward on the snout, an arrangement found in

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

s, heteromyids and a few other groups. The dental formula is teeth in total. In the kangaroo rats, the teeth continue to grow all the time, being worn away as the animal chews. 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. In the kangaroo rats they are unrooted but in the pocket mice they 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's body is in general short and fine and often matches in colour the soil of the region in which the animal lives, being some shade of buff, pale brown, reddish-brown or grey. The spiny pocket mice have coarser fur and spiky bristles on the back near the tail.

Distribution

Heteromyids are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the western United States, Mexico, Central America and northwestern South America. They are creatures of open country, mostly specialising in prairies, arid lands and desert fringes, but the spiny pocket mice are found in both wet and dry tropical forests in Central and northwestern South America. During the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

, the extent of arid lands across the United States was greater than it is today and these animals occurred more widely. Fossils of kangaroo rats are known from the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58hamster Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in seven genera.Fox, Sue. 2006. ''Hamsters''. T.F.H. Publications Inc. They have become established as popular small pets. The b ...

s. This is because carrying the food in the mouth would involve wetting it and moisture needs to be conserved as much as possible in dry environments. Most species store the seeds they gather in special chambers in the burrow where they absorb moisture from the humid air. Others, such as

Merriam's kangaroo rat Merriam's kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys merriami'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. The species name commemorates Clinton Hart Merriam. It is found in the Upper and Lower Sonoran life zones of the southwestern United States, Baja ...

, bury them in shallow caches in the open air. It has been found that there is little hoarding done in the winter but that food is most commonly stored in the autumn and spring. Heteromyids use sight and olfactory clues to locate possible food and then use their fore-feet to manipulate objects. Kangaroo mice make greater use of clumped food where wind or water has concentrated seeds in shallow depressions or around rocks while pocket mice hunt around under vegetation or debris for individual food items. It has been found that pocket mice forage more efficiently than kangaroo rats and this is thought to be due to the fact that they handle their finds more and are better able to distinguish between food and non-food items. These animals excavate long burrow systems with passages, chambers and multiple entrances. They are largely

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

, feeding and moving about at night and resting deep in their burrows during the day. Here it is cooler and more humid which conserves moisture and the animals may temporarily block the entrances to augment this. They are able to concentrate their

urine Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excretion, excreted from the body through the urethra. Cel ...

to a viscous consistency which further reduces water loss. Under extreme conditions, some are able to aestivate in chambers under ground. Kangaroo rats have large hind feet with long metatarsals and no first digits. With these they bound around not using their fore feet at all for locomotion. Pocket mice are smaller and can also move with leaps but they normally run around on four limbs. Members of the genus ''

'', the spiny pocket mice, move around on all fours and do not leap at all.

Ecology

Kangaroo rats and pocket mice form a part of the diet of many

predatory Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

creatures. They are eaten by foxes, coyotes, snakes and birds. They have acute hearing and can detect the approaching swoop of an owl or the movements of a snake. Many can leap to avoid the predators as they seek the safety of their burrows. The largest kangaroo rats can leap in a single bound. In the

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 ...

there are many closely related species of heteromyid mice and rats. Each has its own niche in the environment which means that they do not unnecessarily compete with each other for the limited available resources. Bailey's pocket mouse climbs into plants and bushes in order to find seeds and berries still attached to the plant. It is the only species able to eat the wax found inside the seeds of the

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 specie ...

plant. Merriam's kangaroo rat primarily moves rapidly from one bush to another gathering seed but overlooking anything lying on the desert floor. 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 ...

forages across the open desert floor and gathers seeds that have fallen to the ground.

Taxonomy

*Family Heteromyidae **Subfamily

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 recentl ...

— spiny pocket mice ***Genus ''

'' ****

Panamanian spiny pocket mouse The Panamanian spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys adspersus''), also known as Peter's spiny pocket mouse, is a species of Heteromyidae, heteromyid rodent endemic to Panama. It is very closely related to Salvin's spiny pocket mouse, and has been plac ...

, ''Heteromys adspersus'' **** Trinidad spiny pocket mouse, ''Heteromys anomalus'' ****

Southern spiny pocket mouse The southern spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys australis'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, Rep ...

, ''Heteromys australis'' ****

Overlook spiny pocket mouse A scenic viewpoint – also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, lookout, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc. – is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often w ...

, ''

Heteromys catopterius ''Heteromys'' is a genus of rodents in the family Heteromyidae, commonly known as spiny pocket mice. It is the only extant genus in the subfamily Heteromyinae which also includes the extinct genera '' Diprionomys'' and ''Metaliomys''. ''Hetero ...

'' ****

Desmarest's spiny pocket mouse Desmarest's spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys desmarestianus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama Panama ( , ; es, link ...

, ''Heteromys desmarestianus'' ****

Gaumer's spiny pocket mouse Gaumer's spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys gaumeri'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.Schmidt, Cheryl A., Mark D. Engstrom, and Hugh H. Genoways.Heteromys gaumeri" (1989). It ranges over northern Belize and Guatemala and the Yucat ...

, ''Heteromys gaumeri'' ****

Goldman's spiny pocket mouse Goldman's spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys goldmani'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It has been reported to be a subspecies of ''Heteromys desmarestianus''. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico Mexico (Spanish language ...

, ''Heteromys goldmani'' ****

Mexican spiny pocket mouse The Mexican spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys irroratus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is native to Mexico and Texas in the United States where it is found in dry, scrubby habitats. The IUCN has assessed it as being of "le ...

, ''Heteromys irroratus'' ****

Nelson's spiny pocket mouse Nelson's spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys nelsoni'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Mexico and Guatemala. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss ...

, ''Heteromys nelsoni'' **** Cloud-dwelling spiny pocket mouse, ''

Heteromys nubicolens ''Heteromys'' is a genus of rodents in the family Heteromyidae, commonly known as spiny pocket mice. It is the only extant genus in the subfamily Heteromyinae which also includes the extinct genera '' Diprionomys'' and ''Metaliomys''. ''Hetero ...

'' **** Paraguaná spiny pocket mouse, ''Heteromys oasicus'' ****

Mountain spiny pocket mouse The mountain spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys oresterus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República ...

, ''Heteromys oresterus'' ****

Painted spiny pocket mouse The painted spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys pictus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Mexico and the northern tip of Guatemala. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Liomys'', which is now recognized to be paraph ...

, ''Heteromys pictus'' **** Salvin's spiny pocket mouse, ''Heteromys salvini'' ****

Jaliscan spiny pocket mouse The Jaliscan spiny pocket mouse (''Heteromys spectabilis'') is a species of heteromyid rodent endemic to Mexico. The specific name ''spectabilis'' means "striking", and refers to the animal's relatively bright coloration. It was formerly placed ...

, ''Heteromys spectabilis'' **** Ecuadoran spiny pocket mouse, ''Heteromys teleus'' **Subfamily

Dipodomyinae Dipodomyinae is a subfamily of heteromyid rodents, the kangaroo rats and mice. Dipodomyines, as implied by both their common and scientific names, are bipedal; they also jump exceptionally well. Kangaroo rats and mice are native to desert and s ...

— kangaroo rats and mice ***Genus ''

Dipodomys 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 thi ...

'' — kangaroo rats **** Agile kangaroo rat, Dipodomys agilis ****

California kangaroo rat The California kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys californicus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. However, populations are declining, having not fully recovered after the drought in California from 2013 to 2015 destroyed their habitat ( ...

, ''Dipodomys californicus'' ****

Gulf Coast kangaroo rat The Gulf Coast kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys compactus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae found in Mexico and the state of Texas in the United States. Its appearance and ecology are very similar to those of its putative sister spec ...

, ''Dipodomys compactus'' ****

Desert kangaroo rat The desert kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys deserti'') is a rodent species in the family Heteromyidae that is found in desert areas of southwestern North America. It is one of the large kangaroo rats, with a total length greater than and a mass greate ...

, ''Dipodomys deserti'' ****

Texas kangaroo rat The Texas kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys elator'') is a rodent of the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Texas and Oklahoma in the United States, where it often lives in association with brush species, like mesquite and lotebush, growing in areas wi ...

, ''Dipodomys elator'' ****

San Quintin kangaroo rat The San Quintin kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys gravipes'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it is known only from western Baja California. Its natural habitat includes arid lowlands with sparse vegetati ...

, ''Dipodomys gravipes'' ****

Heermann's kangaroo rat Heermann's kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys heermanni'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. Their long smooth pelage resembles typical kangaroo rats, with their dorsal side showing a mixed range of olive, black and orange colors. There a ...

, ''Dipodomys heermanni'' ****

Giant kangaroo rat The giant kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys ingens'') is an endangered species of heteromyid rodent endemic to California. Description The giant kangaroo rat, is the largest of over 20 species of kangaroo rats, which are small members of the rodent f ...

, ''Dipodomys ingens'' ****

, ''Dipodomys merriami'' ****

Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat The chisel-toothed kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys microps'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. There are 13 sub-species. Saltbush leaves are a major dietary component, requiring specialized physiology to eliminate the salt while reta ...

, ''Dipodomys microps'' **** Nelson's kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys nelsoni'' ****

Fresno kangaroo rat The Fresno kangaroo rat or San Joaquin kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys nitratoides'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to areas within and near the San Joaquin Valley of California in the United States. Habitat destruct ...

, ''Dipodomys nitratoides'' ****

Ord's kangaroo rat Ord's kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys ordii'') is a kangaroo rat native to western North America, specifically the Great Plains and the Great Basin, with its range extending from extreme southern Canada to central Mexico. Ord's kangaroo rat has a fift ...

, ''Dipodomys ordii'' ****

Panamint kangaroo rat The Panamint kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys panamintinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to the Mojave Desert in eastern California and western Nevada, in the United States. Description The Panamint kangaroo rat ...

, ''Dipodomys panamintinus'' **** Phillips's kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys phillipsii'' ****

Dulzura kangaroo rat The Dulzura kangaroo rat, or San Diego kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys simulans'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California, Mexico, and in the Colorado Desert and elsewhere in California in the United States. I ...

, ''Dipodomys simulans'' ****

Banner-tailed kangaroo rat The banner-tailed kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys spectabilis'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in arid environments in the southwestern United States and Mexico where it lives in a burrow by day and forages for seeds an ...

, ''Dipodomys spectabilis'' ****

Stephens's kangaroo rat Stephens's kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys stephensi'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to the Southern California region of the United States, primarily in western Riverside County, California, Riverside County. The sp ...

, ''Dipodomys stephensi'' **** Narrow-faced kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys venustus'' ***Genus ''

Microdipodops A kangaroo mouse is either one of the two species of jumping mouse (genus ''Microdipodops'') native to the deserts of the southwestern United States, predominantly found in the state of Nevada. The name "kangaroo mouse" refers to the species' ex ...

'' — kangaroo mice ****

Pale kangaroo mouse The pale kangaroo mouse or Soda Spring Valley kangaroo mouse (''Microdipodops pallidus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California and Nevada in the United States. Description Named for its pale-furred back ...

, ''Microdipodops pallidus'' ****

Dark kangaroo mouse The dark kangaroo mouse (''Microdipodops megacephalus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), comm ...

, ''Microdipodops megacephalus'' **Subfamily

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 ...

— pocket mice ***Genus ''

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 ...

'' ****

White-eared pocket mouse The white-eared pocket mouse (''Perognathus alticolus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to the San Bernardino Mountains and the Tehachapi Mountains of southern California in the United States. There are two subs ...

, ''Perognathus alticola'' **** Arizona pocket mouse, ''Perognathus amplus'' **** Olive-backed pocket mouse, ''Perognathus fasciatus'' **** Plains pocket mouse, ''Perognathus flavescens'' ****

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, ...

, ''Perognathus flavus'' **** San Joaquin pocket mouse, ''Perognathus inornatus'' ****

Little pocket mouse The little pocket mouse (''Perognathus longimembris'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California and Sonora in Mexico and in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah in the United States. Its na ...

, ''Perognathus longimembris'' ****

Merriam's pocket mouse Merriam's pocket mouse (''Perognathus merriami'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in northeast Mexico and New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas in the United States. Its habitat is shortgrass prairie, desert areas with scr ...

, ''Perognathus merriami'' ****

Great Basin pocket mouse The Great Basin pocket mouse (''Perognathus parvus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.Williams, Daniel F.; Genoways, Hugh H.; Braun, Janet K. 1993. Taxonomy. In: Genoways, Hugh H.; Brown, James H. (eds.) ''Biology of the Heterom ...

, ''Perognathus parvus'' ***Genus ''

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 ...

'' ****

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 tai ...

, ''Chaetodipus arenarius'' ****

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 ...

, ''Chaetodipus artus'' ****

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 Sta ...

, ''Chaetodipus baileyi'' ****

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 nor ...

, ''Chaetodipus californicus'' ****

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 (1 ...

, ''Chaetodipus dalquesti'' ****

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''), bu ...

, ''Chaetodipus eremicus'' ****

San Diego pocket mouse The San Diego pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus fallax'') is a rodent species in the family Heteromyidae. It occupies the northern region of Baja California near San Diego extending into Mexico. Description The San Diego pocket mouse occupies the no ...

, ''Chaetodipus fallax'' ****

Long-tailed pocket mouse The long-tailed pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus formosus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah in the United States and Baja California in Mexico. References

*Patton, J. L. 200 ...

, ''Chaetodipus formosus'' **** Goldman's pocket mouse, ''Chaetodipus goldmani'' ****

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 fro ...

, ''Chaetodipus hispidus'' ****

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 ...

, ''Chaetodipus intermedius'' **** Lined pocket mouse, ''Chaetodipus lineatus'' **** Nelson's pocket mouse, ''Chaetodipus nelsoni'' ****

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 ...

, ''Chaetodipus penicillatus'' ****

Sinaloan pocket mouse The Sinaloan pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus pernix'') is one of 17 species of pocket mice in the genus ''Chaetodipus.'' Two subspecies of ''C. pernix'' are recognized, ''C. p. pernix'' and ''C. p. rostratus,'' all are endemic to Mexico. This small ...

, ''Chaetodipus pernix'' **** Baja pocket mouse, ''Chaetodipus rudinoris'' ****

Spiny pocket mouse 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 ...

, ''Chaetodipus spinatus'' Hafner et al. (2007) summarized the molecular and morphological data to date and proposed the following taxonomy: Finding that the formerly recognized genus ''Liomys'' is

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

, they subsumed it into ''

''. Most authorities prior to this (Alexander and Riddle, 2005; Patton, 2005) treated ''Liomys'' as a separate genus.

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q607610 Geomyoid rodents Rodent families Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa named by John Edward Gray