Silk pocket mouse
| Silk pocket mouse | ||||||||||||
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Silk pocket mouse |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Perognathus flavus | ||||||||||||
| Baird , 1855 |
The silk pocket mouse ( Perognathus flavus ) is a common species from the pocket mouse family that occurs in the deserts of North America.
features
The soft fur is light brown on the top of the body and white on the belly. The body length is 10–12 cm, the tail length 4–6 cm. She has thick pads of soft hair on her feet, which prevent burns and enable better movement on the soft desert sand. She uses all 4 feet or only the hind legs to move. The thick cheek pouches are used to transport the food.
distribution and habitat
Their distribution area is the dry areas of the USA from Wyoming, there possibly extinct, to Texas and Mexico.
Way of life
It lives alone in underground burrows that it has dug itself, which it only leaves to search for food, especially seeds, but also insects. Like all pocket mice, it builds up large stocks, which it hoards in its den. The animals are true to their location and defend their territory vigorously against other conspecifics. Life expectancy is up to 2 years.
Reproduction
The breeding season of this species lasts from April to June and from August to September. The litter of the female is up to 4 cubs, these leave their parents' den for the first time at the age of 3 weeks.
Existence and endangerment
Since the species is widespread, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies this species as Least Concern (LC). A subspecies ( Perognathus flavus goodpastori ), which occurs only in Arizona , is endangered because it is only very scattered and occurs in a very small area.
swell
- Philip Withfield (ed.): The great world empire of the animals. 2000 mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians at a glance. Marshall, London 1992, ISBN 3-8247-8614-1 , pp. 162-163 (translation from English).
- David Macdonald (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Mammals. Könemann in the Tandem-Verl.-GmbH, Königswinter 2003, ISBN 3-89731-928-4 , pp. 666-667 (translation from English: Dr. Eva Dempewolf, Christiane Gsänger et al.).
Web links
- Perognathus flavus inthe IUCN 2012 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Linzey, AV, Timm, R., Álvarez-Castañeda, ST, Castro-Arellano, I. & Lacher, T., 2008. Accessed April 22, 2013.