These adaptations help the plains pocket mice go for six weeks without water! Most of the moisture they need is obtained from seeds and their kidneys are extremely efficient. only a temporary undignified moment, and then back to the sandhills! Look at those cheek pouches! Remember, I was only holding this critter for a few seconds before I released it. If the pouches are fur-lined, then no spit wasted! The thought is that if pocket mice had a hamster-like pouch, then every time they spit out the seeds they were carrying they’d be wasting precious moisture. Pocket mice and their relatives (other pocket mice, kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice) are often associated with arid environments and these critters are all extremely water efficient. The diet of the plains pocket mice is almost entirely grass and weed seeds, and the pouches allow them to carry seeds back to their burrows and cache them.īased on what I read, it’s thought that the purpose of these pouches being fur-lined is to conserve spit. Fur-lined cheek pouches!!! Imagine if, when you opened your mouth, on each side there was a little fur-lined pouch that ran all the way back to almost your shoulders! Gives me the heebie jeebies to think about, but pretty awesome if you’re a pocket mouse. Photo by Chris HelzerĪrguably the sleekest and most adorable of the critters I caught, the most distinguishing feature of the plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens) is its fur-lined cheek pouches. Top tends to be brown/buff-colored, with a yellowish line along its side and a white underbelly. So Cute! Notice the small eyes, small ears, and white dot under the ear. Sometimes members of the genus Chaetodipus are placed in the genus Perognathus.The plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens). Chaetodipus spinatus – Spiny pocket mouse.Chaetodipus rudinoris – Baja pocket mouse.Chaetodipus pernix – Sinaloan pocket mouse.Chaetodipus penicillatus – Desert pocket mouse.Chaetodipus nelsoni – Nelson's pocket mouse.Chaetodipus lineatus – Lined pocket mouse.Chaetodipus intermedius – Rock pocket mouse.Chaetodipus hispidus – Hispid pocket mouse.Chaetodipus goldmani – Goldman's pocket mouse.Chaetodipus formosus – Long-tailed pocket mouse.Chaetodipus fallax – San Diego pocket mouse.Chaetodipus eremicus – Chihuahuan pocket mouse.Chaetodipus dalquesti – Dalquest's pocket mouse.Chaetodipus californicus – California pocket mouse.Chaetodipus baileyi – Bailey's pocket mouse.Chaetodipus artus – Narrow-skulled pocket mouse.Chaetodipus arenarius – Little desert pocket mouse.The longest recorded life span is 8 years and 4 months (Nowak, 1999). Females give birth to a litter of 2–9 young after a gestation period of just under a month. They tend to be found in arid habitats where they feed on seeds, vegetation, and insects (Nowak, 1999). Unlike the silky pocket mice (genus Perognathus), most species of the genus Chaetodipus have harsh pelage with some bordering on spiny hair. Members of this genus range in size from 80 to 125 mm (head and body) and weigh 15–47 grams (Nowak, 1999). 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. Chaetodipus is a genus of pocket mouse containing 17 species endemic to the United States and Mexico.
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