| Spiny pocket mouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Heteromyidae |
| Genus: | Chaetodipus |
| Species: | C. spinatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetodipus spinatus (Merriam, 1889) | |
The spiny pocket mouse (Chaetodipus spinatus) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae and order Rodentia. It is found in Baja California in Mexico and in Arizona, California and Nevada. [1]
The spiny pocket mouse is characterized by long, flexible hairs and spines on its back.These spines differentiates C. spinatus from pocket mice in other genera. [2] Their ears are small and round. They have long tails that are 126% of the length of their head and body. Their coat colors vary among islands but are generally brown on the tops of their bodies and tan on their sides. A spiny pocket mouse weighs about 13–18 g (0.46–0.63 oz). Their body length ranges from 164 to 225 mm (6.5 to 8.9 in). [3]
Spiny pocket mice are found in Southern Nevada, and in the islands of the Gulf of California at elevations up to 900 m (3,000 ft ). They also range from southeast California to the south by the cape of Baja California Peninsula (Mexico), where they are native. Because of its wide distribution and absence in agricultural areas, the spiny pocket mouse population faces little risk of extinction. [1]
This mouse's diet varies according to the habitat it lives in. Their diet probably consists of seeds and green vegetation at times of rainfall. Since water is scarce in its habitat, it likely obtains most of its water from food. [1]
The spiny pocket mouse is nocturnal. This characteristic allows the spiny pocket mouse to live in rough, rocky desert landscapes by taking refuge during the hot days. [1] "They sleep, breed, and raise their young in burrows."[ according to whom? ] Their main predator are feral cats. [1]
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.
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.
Chaetodipus is a genus of pocket mouse containing 17 species endemic to the United States and Mexico. Like other members of their family such as pocket mice in the genus Perognathus, they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice.
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 little desert pocket mouse is a species of small rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Baja California in Mexico.
The narrow-skulled pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to western Mexico, living west of the Sierra Madre Occidental crest.
Bailey's pocket mouse is a species of rodent of the subfamily Perognathinae, family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora in Mexico and in California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States.
The California pocket mouse is a species of nocturnal and primarily solitary rodent in the family Heteromyidae.
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 long-tailed pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah in the United States and Baja California in Mexico.
Goldman's pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it is threatened by the increasing conversion of its dry, scrubby habitat into agricultural land. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "near threatened".
Nelson's pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Mexico and in New Mexico and Texas in United States. It is named in honor of the American naturalist Edward William Nelson.
The Sinaloan pocket mouse is one of 17 species of pocket mice in the genus Chaetodipus. Two subspecies of C. pernix are recognized, C. p. pernix and C. p. rostratus, all are endemic to Mexico.
The Mexican spiny pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is native to Mexico and Texas in the United States where it is found in dry, scrubby habitats. The IUCN has assessed it as being of "least concern". It was formerly placed in the genus Liomys, which is now recognized to be paraphyletic and has been subsumed into Heteromys.
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 Jaliscan spiny pocket mouse is a species of heteromyid rodent endemic to Mexico. The specific name spectabilis means "striking", and refers to the animal's relatively bright coloration. It was formerly placed in the genus Liomys, which is now recognized to be paraphyletic and has been subsumed into Heteromys.
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.
The Baja pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. The species occurs in southern California, Baja California and on islands in the Gulf of California.
The lined pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. This pocket mouse is endemic to a small area of central Mexico.
Spiny pocket mice may refer to various rodent species of the family Heteromyidae of southern North America and northwestern South America:
