False canyon mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids False canyon mouse |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Peromyscus
|
| Species: |
pseudocrinitus
|
The false canyon mouse is also called the Coronados deer mouse. Its scientific name is Peromyscus pseudocrinitus. This small animal is a type of rodent, like a mouse or a rat. It belongs to the Cricetidae family. You can only find this mouse on Coronados Island. This is a tiny island in the Gulf of California, off the coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Sadly, wild cats called feral cats are a big danger to these mice. Because of this, the IUCN says the false canyon mouse is "critically endangered". This means it's very close to disappearing forever.
What Does the False Canyon Mouse Look Like?
The false canyon mouse is about 194 mm (7.6 in) long from its nose to the tip of its tail. Its tail alone is about 110 mm (4.3 in) long.
Its fur on its back is a mix of greyish-black with a hint of cinnamon brown. Its belly, or underparts, are white. The tail has only a few hairs. The top part of the tail is dark, almost black. The bottom part is light, but the very tip of the tail is dark all around.
The skull of this mouse looks a bit like the canyon mouse (Peromyscus crinitus). However, the false canyon mouse's skull is longer and narrower. Among all the mice of its kind that live on the islands in the Gulf of California, the false canyon mouse has the darkest fur. This is because the rocks on Coronados Island are dark, and the mouse's fur helps it blend in.
Where Does the False Canyon Mouse Live?
This mouse lives only on Coronados Island. This island is in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. It is an island that no people live on.
Coronados Island was formed by volcanoes. It is about 3 km (1.9 mi) long and 2.5 km (1.6 mi) wide. The eastern side of the island has very steep cliffs. The southwestern part has a long, sandy area that stretches towards the mainland. The island has many rocks, and the plants that grow there are mostly dry, desert-like bushes.
The false canyon mice dig burrows in the sandy areas. They also live among the rocks on the island.
What is the Mouse's Conservation Status?
The false canyon mouse (P. pseudocrinitus) is in danger because of feral cats living on the island. These wild cats are thought to have caused the number of mice to drop. Another type of mouse that used to live on the island has already disappeared completely from there.
In 1989, scientists looked for false canyon mice but could not find any. However, in 1994, they found twenty mice in just one night!
Because these mice live in a very small area and there are not many of them, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed them as "critically endangered". This means they are at a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
