Mexican wire-haired pocket mouse
| Mexican wire-haired pocket mouse | ||||||||||||
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Mexican wire-haired pocket mouse (right) and a silk pocket mouse ( Perognathus flavus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chaetodipus hispidus | ||||||||||||
| ( Baird , 1858) |
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 1 | · | 3 | = 20 |
The Mexican wire-haired pocket mouse ( Chaetodipus hispidus ) is a rodent in the pocket mouse family that is found in central North America. The German name refers to the place where the type specimen was found in Mexico (state of Tamaulipas ).
features
With a total length of 152 to 230 mm, a tail length of 72 to 113 mm and a weight of 15 to 60 g, the species is a medium-sized to large generic representative. It has hind feet 22 to 29 mm long and ears 10 to 13 mm long. The short and dense fur on the top is gray-brown in color with an olive green shade, while the underside is covered with whitish fur. Furthermore, the tail is brown on top and white on the underside. There is a tassel at the end of the tail.
distribution
The distribution area of this pocket mouse extends from the US state of North Dakota to about Mexico City . The species inhabits the prairie , other grasslands and open oak forests. It prefers sandy bottom, but can occur on clay soils or in partially rocky areas.
Way of life
Adult individuals only live together when females are ready to mate. Each specimen has an area of about 0.3 hectares, is nocturnal and mostly hangs on the ground. During the day the Mexican wire-haired pocket mouse rests in its underground burrow, which also serves as a storage facility. The diet consists mainly of seeds as well as green parts of plants and insects. In northern areas, the species temporarily goes into starvation (torpor) in winter , but it does not hibernate . Southern populations can be active year round.
Reproduction is limited in the north to spring and summer. In these regions, females generally have two litters per year with 2 to 9 offspring per litter. Usually 5 or 6 pups are born per litter. The sexual maturity occurs after about 60 days. Few Mexican wire-haired pocket mice live to be two years old.
Relationship with people
The species eats seeds of weeds as well as seeds of useful plants. There are no known threats to speak of. The IUCN lists the Mexican wire-haired pocket mouse as Least Concern .
supporting documents
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Chaetodipus hispidus ).
- ↑ a b c Ceballos, G. (Ed.): Mammals of Mexico . The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014, pp. 229-230 (English, Chaetodipus hispidus ).
- ↑ a b c Ida Park: Hispid pocket mouse on the Animal Diversity Web of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 2000. Accessed November 29, 2017.
- ↑ a b Chaetodipus hispidus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2016. Posted by: Linzey, AV, Timm, R., Álvarez-Castañeda, ST, Castro-Arellano, I. & Lacher, T., 2016. Retrieved on 29 November 2017.