Preble's meadow jumping mouse
Encyclopedia
Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) is a subspecies of jumping mouse, endemic to the upland habitats of Colorado
and Wyoming
in North America
. It is found nowhere else in the world. It is listed as Threatened under the United States
Endangered Species Act
; there is a major debate about whether it is a valid taxon
.
The mice are born without hair (naked) and live nearly two years. They hibernate
from mid-September to early may, building themselves a soft vegetation nest. The breeding season
is from May to October.
Meadow jumping mice like to eat mostly plants, insects, spiders, slugs.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
in 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 found nowhere else in the world. It is listed as Threatened under the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
; there is a major debate about whether it is a valid taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
.
Description
The mouse is around nine inches long, and can jump in bounds of four feet when threatened. It usually travels slowly. It swims and climbs grass stems. It has long hind legs and a long, slender, scaly tail that it uses to communicate by making drumming noises. It also communicates using clucks and chirps.The mice are born without hair (naked) and live nearly two years. They hibernate
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
from mid-September to early may, building themselves a soft vegetation nest. The breeding season
Breeding season
The breeding season is the most suitable season, usually with favourable conditions and abundant food and water, for breeding among some wild animals and birds . Species with a breeding season have naturally evolved to have sexual intercourse during a certain time of year in order to achieve the...
is from May to October.
Meadow jumping mice like to eat mostly plants, insects, spiders, slugs.