Wood jumping mouse
| Wood jumping mouse | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wood jumping mouse |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Napaeozapus | ||||||||||||
| Preble , 1899 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Napaeozapus insignis | ||||||||||||
| (Miller, 1891) |
The forest bumpkin ( Napaeozapus insignis ) is a rodent from the bouncy mouse family that is found in North America. It is the only species in its genus.
The population is considered stable by the IUCN and thus the species is listed as Least Concern .
features
In terms of physique, the wood jumping mouse resembles an ordinary house mouse with long hind feet. It reaches a head-torso length of 8 to 10 cm, a tail length of 11 to 16 cm and an average weight of 17 to 26 grams. Before hibernation , the weight can increase significantly due to the accumulated fat stores. The coat color runs from the dark brown to black back over the orange sides of the body to the whitish belly. The tail is also divided into a brown top and a white bottom. It is also equipped with a white tassel at the end. In contrast to real jumping mice ( zapus ), the wood jumping mouse only has up to three molar teeth per half of the jaw.
distribution
The wood jumping mouse occurs from central and eastern Canada to the northeastern United States to the state of Georgia . It lives in forests of the temperate zone , which often have dense under-vegetation. It is often seen in swamps or near bodies of water.
Way of life
The almost circular nest made of leaves and grass is built in bushes or caves in the ground. The latter are dug themselves or taken over by other animals. The common hop mouse usually moves slowly on the ground. Sometimes it jumps with the help of its hind legs 60 to 90 cm wide and 30 to 60 cm (in exceptional cases up to 180 cm) high. Mushrooms and seeds as well as other parts of plants such as fruits and nuts, which are supplemented by insects , serve as food . Forest bumpers begin their hibernation in September / October and come out again in April / May. During this time you will lose about 30% of your weight.
The territories of the individual specimens overlap and there is generally no aggressiveness. Mating can occur between May and September, mostly in June and August. In the southern part of the range, females often have two litters a year. After a gestation of around 23 days, two to eight blind and naked pups are born. They open their eyes after about 26 days and about eight days later they are no longer suckled. Forest bumpers can live two to three (rarely four) years in nature.
literature
- 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 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ 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, Napaeozapus ).
- ↑ a b Napaeozapus insignis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: Linzey, AV & Hammerson, G., 2008. Accessed June 6, 2012 Design.
- ↑ a b c d Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 2. 6th edition. 1999, p. 1333.
