The Muroidea are a large superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, lemmings, gerbils, and many other relatives. Although the Muroidea originated in Eurasia, they occupy a vast variety of habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Some authorities have placed all members of this group into a single family, Muridae, due to difficulties in determining how the subfamilies are related to one another. Many of the families within the Muroidea superfamily have more variations between the families than between the different clades. A possible explanation for the variations in rodents is because of the location of these rodents; these changes could have been due to radiation or the overall environment they migrated to or originated in. The following taxonomy is based on recent well-supported molecular phylogenies.
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.
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.
Vesper mice are rodents belonging to the genus Calomys. They are widely distributed in South America. Some species are notable as the vectors of Argentinian hemorrhagic fever and Bolivian hemorrhagic fever.
Baiomys is a genus for the New World pygmy mice. Together with Scotinomys, it forms the tribe Baiomyini. It contains the smallest rodents in North America. It currently contains three extant species:
The Cairo spiny mouse, also known as the common spiny mouse, Egyptian spiny mouse, or Arabian spiny mouse, is a nocturnal species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Africa north of the Sahara Desert, where its natural habitats are rocky areas and hot deserts. It is omnivorous, feeding on seeds, desert plants, snails, and insects. It is a gregarious animal and lives in small family groups. It is the first and only known rodent species that exhibit spontaneous decidualization and menstruation.
The Cape spiny mouse is a murid rodent found in the Western Cape province of South Africa. They have a dorsal covering of spiny hairs with dark grey-brown colouration, and a white underbelly. The Cape spiny mouse has large eyes and ears and a scaly, nearly bald tail that is brittle and can break off readily either as a whole or in part if it is caught. Their total length is 17 cm (6.7 in), with an 8 cm (3.1 in) tail, and they typically weigh 22 g (0.78 oz).
The Taiwan field mouse, also called Formosan wood mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Taiwan.
The northern pygmy mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is known as ratón-pigmeo norteño in the Spanish-speaking areas of its range. It is found in Mexico and the United States. It is the smallest rodent in North America.
Isthmomys is a genus of rodent in the family Cricetidae, belonging to the tribe Reithrodontomyini. Species are:
The Macedonian mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae and order Rodentia. This rodent occurs in the south Balkans, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and the Middle East south to Israel and Jordan and east to Iran. It is considered part of a Palearctic group along with three other species: the house mouse, steppe mouse, and Algerian mouse.
The white-ankled mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Mexico and in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas in the United States.
Alston's brown mouse, also called Alston's singing mouse, short-tailed singing mouse, or singing mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Central America, from Chiapas, Mexico, to western Panama.
The Chiriqui brown mouse, also known as the long-tailed singing mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in cloud forest and paramo at elevations of 2100 to 3400 m in Costa Rica and Panama.
Baiomyini is a tribe of rodents in the subfamily Neotominae occurring from the southern United States to Panama. It includes the genera Baiomys and Scotinomys, with a total of five living species.
Guy Graham Musser was an American zoologist. His main research was in the field of the rodent subfamily Murinae, in which he has described many new species.
The Katanglad shrew-mouse, also known as the Kitanglad shrew-mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is known only from one specimen taken at 2250 m on Mount Kitanglad, Bukidnon Province, Philippines.
The Malagasy mountain mouse or Koopman's montane voalavo is a rodent within the subfamily Nesomyinae of the family Nesomyidae. It is monotypic within the genus Monticolomys, and is closely related to the big-footed mouse (Macrotarsomys). It is found in the highlands of eastern Madagascar. A small mouse-like rodent, it is dark brown on the upperparts and dark gray below. It has small, rounded, densely haired ears and broad feet with well-developed pads. The long tail lacks a tuft at the tip. The skull is delicate and lacks crests and ridges on its roof.
