Alabama beach mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alabama beach mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Genus: | Peromyscus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
P. p. ammobates
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| Trinomial name | |
| Peromyscus polionotus ammobates Bowen, 1968
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The Alabama beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus ammobates) is a small, light-colored mouse. It lives only along the sandy coasts of Alabama. This mouse is a federally endangered species. This means there are very few of them left. They need special protection to survive in the wild.
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The Alabama Beach Mouse
Where Do They Live?
The Alabama beach mouse lives along the Alabama coast. Historically, their home stretched across much of the Fort Morgan Peninsula. This area goes from Ono Island to Fort Morgan. These mice are a type of Oldfield mouse. They live only in coastal sand dune areas.
Why Are They Endangered?
The number of Alabama beach mice has dropped for several reasons:
- Habitat Loss: Building new homes and businesses along the coast has destroyed their natural homes. Roads also cut through their habitat. This breaks up the areas where they can live.
- Storms and People: Big storms like hurricanes and tropical storms can damage or wash away sand dunes. People walking on the dunes also harm these important sandy hills.
- Predators and Competition: Cats, both pets and wild ones, hunt these mice. Other types of rodents also compete with the beach mice for food and space.
What Do They Look Like and How Do They Live?
The Alabama beach mouse is one of several types of old field mice. They are small and have light-colored fur. This helps them blend in with the sand. They dig burrows and build nests in the sand dunes. These mice are mostly active at night.
They eat different kinds of plant seeds and insects. They especially like sandy slopes. These slopes often have patches of sea oats, beach grass, and other grasses and herbs.
Why Are They Important?
Beach mice are a very important part of the coastal dune ecosystem. When many beach mice are living well, it shows that the dune system is healthy. The mice help the environment by collecting and spreading seeds. The seeds they don't eat grow into new plants. These plants help to hold the sand dunes in place. Beach mice are also food for other animals, like snakes and owls. This makes them a key part of the food chain.
How Are They Protected?
Because the Alabama beach mouse is endangered, it is protected by law. Special areas like the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Baldwin County, Alabama help keep them safe. Environmental groups have also worked to protect their homes. For example, in a case called Sierra Club v. Babbitt, groups stopped new buildings from being built in the mouse's habitat. This helped protect their homes.
