| Fulvous harvest mouse | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Genus: | Reithrodontomys |
| Species: | R. fulvescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Reithrodontomys fulvescens J.A.Allen, 1894 | |
The fulvous harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. [2] It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States. [1]
About 17 subspecies of R. fulvescens are recognised and they vary in both colouring and size. Their total length ranges from about 134 to 189 mm (5.3 to 7.4 in) with a tail between 73 and 116 mm (2.9 and 4.6 in). Their yellowish-buff or tawny fur is relatively coarse and has a streaked or speckled effect caused by the mixture of black guard hairs and the paler, banded hairs of the undercoat. Often, a dark stripe runs along the spine. The underparts are grayish-white, sometimes tinged with buff. This mouse can be distinguished from the rather larger hairy harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys hirsutus) by its pelage and skull characteristics, the pale underside of the tail and the whitish or buff color of the hind feet. [3]
The fulvous harvest mouse has a widespread distribution with a range extending from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador northwards through Mexico to the southwestern United States, where it is present in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Its typical habitat is grassy areas containing some shrubs, especially in areas with mesquite or pine/grass ecozones. [3]
The fulvous harvest mouse is nocturnal. In Arkansas, animals began to deposit fat in their tissues in November and this peaks in January and then the fat reserves are steadily used up by April. Other adaptations to winter include a lengthening of the animal's hair and a possible daily reduction of its body temperature during sleep in the daytime. [3] The animal quickly recovers from hypothermia and resumes activity when it warms up. [3] A nest is built in vegetation just off the ground and consists of a ball of grasses and sedges about 75 mm (3.0 in) in diameter. It is usually occupied by a pair of mice which may be a pair-bonded male and female. When the mice are inside, the entrance, or pair of entrances, is plugged. When the animals move about outside, much of their time is spent off the ground in low vegetation. [3]
The diet of the fulvous harvest mouse varies seasonally, but in milder climates, consists primarily of insects and other invertebrates throughout the year, whereas in colder regions, invertebrates predominate in the spring, and seeds in the fall and winter. A small proportion of green leafy and other plant food is also eaten. Predators of this mouse include barn owls (Tyto alba) and red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). [3]
In Mexico, breeding seems to take place throughout the year, [1] but in Texas, usually two breeding peaks occur, one in late spring and the second a few months later. The litter size is usually two to four offspring, but may be more. The young are blind, naked, and helpless at birth, their eyes open between the ninth and 12th days and weaning takes place between the 13th and 16th. Life expectancy is up to 15 months for males and up to 12 months for females. [3]
The harvest mouse is a small rodent native to Europe and Asia. It is typically found in fields of cereal crops, such as wheat and oats, in reed beds and in other tall ground vegetation, such as long grass and hedgerows. It has reddish-brown fur with white underparts and a naked, highly prehensile tail, which it uses for climbing. It is the smallest European rodent; an adult may weigh as little as 4 grams (0.14 oz). It eats chiefly seeds and insects, but also nectar and fruit. Breeding nests are spherical constructions carefully woven from grass and attached to stems well above the ground.
The salt-marsh harvest mouse, also known as the red-bellied harvest mouse, is an endangered rodent endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area salt marshes in California.
The Neotominae are a subfamily of the family Cricetidae. They consist of four tribes, 16 genera, and many species of New World rats and mice, predominantly found in North America. Among them are the well-known deer mice, white-footed mice, packrats, and grasshopper mice.
The western harvest mouse is a small neotomine mouse native to most of the western United States. Many authorities consider the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse to be a subspecies, but the two are now usually treated separately.
Reithrodontomys is the genus of groove-toothed New World harvest mice.
The fulvous owl, or Guatemala barred owl, is a resident of the cloud forests of Central America. A medium-sized true owl, it has a round head, lacking ear tufts. Its typical coloration is warm dark brown or reddish brown on the back and lighter brown on the front with darker barring. Adults weigh approximately 600 grams (21 oz), with females being heavier. Its distribution is limited to highland regions of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. It inhabits elevations from 1,200 to 3,100 meters, and is fairly common within its range. Its behavior is poorly known, as are its population size and distribution. It is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, although it is considered endangered in Mexico.
The southern pygmy mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The Aztec mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, native to southern Mexico and parts of Central America.
The Zacatecan deer mouse or southern rock mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Mexico, and is not considered endangered.
The Mexican deer mouse is a species of forest-dwelling rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in southern Mexico and throughout much of Central America.
The slender harvest mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is small and mouse-like and is distributed throughout a portion of Central America.
The plains harvest mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in northern Mexico and the central United States.
The yellow-nosed cotton rat is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is native to Mexico and to the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, where it inhabits mountain grassland, scrub, and pinyon-juniper woodland. It is common over much of its wide range and the IUCN considers it to be of "least concern".
The spot-breasted wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The painted spiny pocket mouse 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 paraphyletic and has been subsumed into Heteromys.
The San Joaquin pocket mouse or Salinas pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California in the United States where it lives in desert or semi-desert habitats.
