Hispid pocket mouse
Encyclopedia
The hispid pocket mouse (Chaetodipus hispidus) is a large pocket mouse
native to the Great Plains
region of North America
. It is a member of the genus Chaetodipus
.
from southern North Dakota
to central
Mexico
, and west from the Missouri River
to the foot of the Rocky Mountains
. It is not found
in far-eastern portions of the states Kansas
or Missouri
.
yellowish with black hairs interspersed above. It has a distinct, buffy lateral line and white underparts.
habitats, but are most abundant in areas with sandy soils and patches of bare ground. They are also found in areas with rocky, loamy soils. Hispid pocket mice are not found in rocky prairie
, and seem to avoid sand dunes and riparian zones. These mice prefer a vegetation mix of short- to mid-grasses, shrubs, forbs, cacti
and/or yucca
.
Essentially granivores, the diet of the hispid pocket mouse consists primarily of seeds it selectively gathers, though these mice do consume some insects and leaves.
Burrows are always dug in friable soil and have two to three entrances, often plugged. Unlike other pocket mice the hispid pocket mouse often leaves a conspicuous mound of earth about the burrow entrance (like the mounds of pocket gopher
s, but significantly smaller).
Hispid pocket mice are solitary.
March through October, and pregnant females have been trapped in July and August. The length of the breeding season
suggests females can bear two or more litters a year.
Pocket mouse
Pocket mouse may refer to:* Perognathus sp.* Chaetodipus sp....
native to the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
region of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is a member of the genus Chaetodipus
Chaetodipus
Chaetodipus is a genus of pocket mouse containing 19 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....
.
Distribution
The hispid pocket mouse occurs across the Great PlainsGreat Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
from southern North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
to central
Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and west from the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
to the foot of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. It is not found
in far-eastern portions of the states Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
or Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Description
This mouse is one of the largest pocket mice. Its pelage is bristley (hispidus means "bristley"),yellowish with black hairs interspersed above. It has a distinct, buffy lateral line and white underparts.
| Biological statistics (adult) | |
|---|---|
| Length | 190–237 mm |
| Tail | 90–115 mm |
| Hind foot | 23–30 mm |
| Ear | 12–14 mm |
| Weight | 35–60 g Gram The gram is a metric system unit of mass.... |
Subspecies
There are four recognized subspecies:- Chaetodipus hispidus hispidus Baird, 1858:421. Type locality "Charco Escondido (Tamaulipas), Mexico, (24 leagues W. of Matamoros.)"
- Chaetodipus hispidus paradoxus Merriam, 1889:24. Type locality "Trego County, Kansas." (latirostris Rhodes, conditi Allen are synonyms.)
- Chaetodipus hispidus spilotus Merriam, 1889:25. Type locality "Gainesville, Cook (Cooke) County, Texas." (maximus Elliot is a synonym).
- Chaetodipus hispidus zacatecae Osgood, 1900:45. Type locality "Valparaiso, Zacatecas, Mexico."
Behavior and habitat
Hispid pocket mice inhabit a variety of uplandHighland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...
habitats, but are most abundant in areas with sandy soils and patches of bare ground. They are also found in areas with rocky, loamy soils. Hispid pocket mice are not found in rocky prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
, and seem to avoid sand dunes and riparian zones. These mice prefer a vegetation mix of short- to mid-grasses, shrubs, forbs, cacti
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
and/or yucca
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
.
Essentially granivores, the diet of the hispid pocket mouse consists primarily of seeds it selectively gathers, though these mice do consume some insects and leaves.
Burrows are always dug in friable soil and have two to three entrances, often plugged. Unlike other pocket mice the hispid pocket mouse often leaves a conspicuous mound of earth about the burrow entrance (like the mounds of pocket gopher
Pocket gopher
The pocket gophers are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. These are the "true" gophers, though several ground squirrels of the family Sciuridae are often called gophers as well...
s, but significantly smaller).
Hispid pocket mice are solitary.
Reproduction
Not much is known about the reproduction of this species. Adult males have been recorded with enlarged testes fromMarch through October, and pregnant females have been trapped in July and August. The length of the breeding season
suggests females can bear two or more litters a year.