Pocket mice

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Pocket mice
Kangaroo rat of the genus Dipodomys

Kangaroo rat of the genus Dipodomys

Systematics
Subclass : Higher mammals (Eutheria)
Superordinate : Euarchontoglires
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Beaver relatives (Castorimorpha)
Superfamily : Pocket rodents (Geomyoidea)
Family : Pocket mice
Scientific name
Heteromyidae
Gray , 1868
Subfamilies
  • Heteromyinae
  • Perognathinae
  • Dipodomyinae

The pocket mice (Heteromyidae) are a family of North and Central American rodents. A total of 66 species in five genera are assigned to the taxon , which occur in the arid regions via grass and chaparral areas to the humid tropical rainforests of America.

features

Pocket mice are named after the large fur pockets that are used to store food. These devices are located on the outside of the cheek and can be turned outward for cleaning purposes. In terms of appearance, the genera differ greatly from one another: While most of them look like typical mice , the hind legs of two genera, the kangaroo mice and kangaroo rats, are transformed into powerful jumping tools. The head body length of the pocket mice is between 6 and 18 cm, plus a 5 to 21 cm long tail.

distribution

The distribution ranges from southern Canada through the USA and Central America to Colombia and Ecuador . By far the largest number of species live in Mexico. A wide variety of habitats from the desert to the tropical rainforest serve as living space .

Way of life

Pocket mice dig extensive underground burrows. At night they are active outside, and during the day they withdraw into the tunnel systems. Food is seeds and other parts of plants, as well as insects and worms. Often the food is stowed in the outer cheek pouches and brought to the construction, where it is stored in special storage chambers. In cold or rainy weather, pocket mice stay in their burrows and eat the stored supplies.

Systematics

Although they hardly have any external similarities, pocket mice are closely related to the mole-like pocket rats . In addition to the outer cheek pouches, they have anatomical details of the skull and teeth in common with them. Sometimes both are united in a common family of pocket rodents.

Relationships within the pocket mice according to Hafner 2016
 Pocket mice 

 Perognathinae 

 Silk pocket mice ( Perognathus )


   

 Wire-haired pocket mice ( Chaetodipus )



 Dipodomyinae 

 Kangaroo mice ( Microdipodops )


   

 Kangaroo rats ( Dipodomys )




   

 Barbed Pocket Mice ( Heteromys )



A distinction is made between five to six genera, whereby the genus Liomys is partly viewed as an independent genus and partly as part of the barbed pocket mice ( Heteromys ), then forest barbed pocket mice. The genera are divided into three subfamilies:

The forest pocket mice and the barbed pocket mice are listed as separate genera, especially in older literature, but due to the molecular-biological proven paraphyly of Liomys, they were merged into the common genus Heteromys in 2007 .

supporting documents

  1. a b c d David J. Hafner: Familiy Heteromyidae (Pocket mice, kangoroo mice and kangoroo rats). In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editors): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, p. 170. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4 .
  2. John C. Hafner, Mark S. Hafner: Evolutionary relationships in Heteromyid rodents. In: Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs. Vol. 7, 1983, ISSN  0160-239X , pp. 3-29.
  3. John C. Hafner, Jessica E. Light, David J. Hafner, Mark S. Hafner, Emily Reddington, Duke S. Rogers, Brett R. Riddle: Basal Clades and Molecular Systematics of Heteromyid Rodents. Journal of Mammalogy 88 (5), 2007; Pp. 1129-1145. doi : 10.1644 / 06-MAMM-A-413R1.1

literature

  • David J. Hafner: Familiy Heteromyidae (Pocket mice, kangoroo mice and kangoroo rats). In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editor): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, p. 170– 233. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4 .
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
  • John C. Hafner, Mark S. Hafner: Evolutionary relationships in Heteromyid rodents. In: Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs. Vol. 7, 1983, ISSN  0160-239X , pp. 3-29.

Web links

Commons : Pocket mice  - collection of images, videos and audio files