Kangaroo mouse Temporal range: Late Pleistocene – Recent | |
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A pale kangaroo mouse in Nevada | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Heteromyidae |
Subfamily: | Dipodomyinae |
Genus: | Microdipodops Merriam, 1891 |
Type species | |
Microdipodops megacephalus Merriam, 1891 | |
Species | |
A kangaroo mouse is either one of the two species of jumping mouse (genus Microdipodops) native to the deserts of the southwestern United States, predominantly found in the state of Nevada. The name "kangaroo mouse" refers to the species' extraordinary jumping ability, as well as its habit of bipedal locomotion. The two species are:
Both species of kangaroo mouse live in sandy desert ecosystems, and forage for seeds and vegetation amongst the scrub brush of their native habitat. The dark kangaroo mouse is also known to feed occasionally on insects and carrion. The mouse rarely drinks water, instead deriving it metabolically from the foods it eats. The kangaroo mouse collects food and maintains large caches in their burrows, which are excavated to a length of between 3 and 8 feet (1 to 2.5 meters). The burrow, the entrance to which the mouse covers during daylight hours, is also used to raise litters of between 2 and 7 young. The pale kangaroo mouse burrows only in fine sand, while the dark kangaroo mouse prefers fine, gravelly soils but may also burrow in sand or sandy soil. Kangaroo mice are nocturnal, and are most active in the two hours following sunset. They are believed to hibernate during cold weather. Although mitochondrial data indicate that the clades appear to be in approximate genetic equilibrium and have not suffered any extreme bottlenecks over time, there is still concern for the survival of smaller and more vulnerable Microdipodops subpopulations due to impending habitat threats in the Great Basin Desert.
The kangaroo mice are closely related to the kangaroo rats, which belong to the same subfamily, Dipodomyinae.
The difference between a pale and dark kangaroo mouse is the color of their fur which is suggested in their names. While a dark kangaroo mouse has dark brown and black fur, a pale kangaroo mouse has a lighter, pale brown color.
Both pale and dark Microdipodops species share the same features such as having wide eyes, long and silky fur, shorten forelegs, long hind legs, and a long, slim tail with fur at the end that is used for balance. The average tail is 84 mm (inclusive of a range of 68 mm to 103 mm). [1] Their hind legs are proportionately large with fringed stiff hairs at the side and the undersurface of their feet to help through movement in sandy desert habitats. [2] An average kangaroo mouse adult weighs 13.5g (inclusive of a range from 10g to 17g) with an average total length of 158.5 mm (inclusive of a range from 140 mm to 177 mm) and an average hind foot with the length of 25 mm. [1]
Due to their extremely inflated auditory bullae, that is extended in the upper portion of their head, and large ear structure, Kangaroo mice skulls are relatively larger in size to their body which contributes to their keen hearing used to detect predators. [2]
Both dark and pale kangaroo mice are herbivores, primarily granivorous. Their intake of food consists of seeds, grains, and nuts and in the summer, insects as well. [2] Kangaroo mice use the front of their teeth to husk seeds, then carry and store in their fur-lined cheek pouches back to their burrowed homes. [2] An extraordinary fact about some heteromyid species, such as the kangaroo mouse, is that they can spend several extended periods of time, even lifetimes, without consuming water. This is due to their efficient kidneys and ability to extract sufficient water from food and is essential in their survival in desert areas. [2] The fat they get from their food is also stored in their tail. [2]
The fur color of both pale and dark Kangaroo mice aid in blending in background environments against predators. [2] The system of their complex burrows help them in escaping predators including a high-pitched squeal that is called out when threatened. [1]
Known predators
Jerboas are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts.
A hopping mouse is any of about ten different Australian native mice in the genus Notomys. They are rodents, not marsupials, and their ancestors are thought to have arrived from Asia about 5 million years ago.
Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus Dipodomys, are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this mode of locomotion independently, like several other clades of rodents.
Heteromyidae is a family of rodents consisting of kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, pocket mice and spiny pocket mice. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, though species within the genus Heteromys are also found in forests and their range extends as far south as northern South America. They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined cheek pouches to their burrows.
Dipodomyinae is a subfamily of heteromyid rodents, the kangaroo rats and mice. Dipodomyines, as implied by both their common and scientific names, are bipedal; they also jump exceptionally well. Kangaroo rats and mice are native to desert and semidesert ecosystems of western North America from southern Canada to central Mexico. They are generally herbivorous foragers, and dig and live in burrows.
Zapodidae, the jumping mice, is a family of mouse-like rodents in North America and China.
Perognathinae is a subfamily of rodents consisting of two genera of pocket mice. Most species live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined cheek pouches to their burrows.
Ord's kangaroo rat is a kangaroo rat native to western North America, specifically the Great Plains and the Great Basin, with its range extending from extreme southern Canada to central Mexico.
The desert pocket mouse is a North American species of heteromyid rodent found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. True to its common name, the medium-sized desert pocket mouse prefers sandy, sparsely vegetated desert environments.
The cactus mouse or cactus deermouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is a species of the genus Peromyscus, a closely related group of New World mice often called "deermice". They are native to desert areas of western North America.
The little desert pocket mouse is a species of small rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Baja California in Mexico.
The San Diego pocket mouse is a rodent species in the family Heteromyidae. It occupies the northern region of Baja California near San Diego extending into Mexico.
The desert kangaroo rat is a rodent species in the family Heteromyidae that is found in desert areas of southwestern North America. It is one of the large kangaroo rats, with a total length greater than 12 inches (300 mm) and a mass greater than 3.2 ounces (91 g).
Merriam's kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. The species name commemorates Clinton Hart Merriam. It is found in the Upper and Lower Sonoran life zones of the southwestern United States, Baja California, and northern Mexico.
Salvin's spiny pocket mouse is a small to medium-sized rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It was formerly placed in the genus Liomys, which is now recognized to be paraphyletic and has been subsumed into Heteromys.
The dark kangaroo mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah in the United States.
The pale kangaroo mouse or Soda Spring Valley kangaroo mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California and Nevada in the United States.
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.
The Pacific pocket mouse, Perognathus longimembris pacificus, is endemic to California. It lives in sandy coastal soils of the coastal sage scrub ecoregion. It eats seeds and some insects. It was believed to be extinct until 1993, when a small population was discovered. It is now a federally listed Endangered animal species.
The Chihuahuan pocket mouse is a species of heteromyid rodent found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the desert pocket mouse, but was determined to be a distinct species in 1996, following analysis of its mitochondrial DNA.