Fulvous harvest mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fulvous harvest mouse |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Reithrodontomys
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| Species: |
fulvescens
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The fulvous harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens) is a small rodent that belongs to the Cricetidae family. You can find these mice in several countries. They live in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States. They are also found in Nicaragua.
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Meet the Fulvous Harvest Mouse
There are about 17 different types, or subspecies, of the fulvous harvest mouse. They can look a bit different from each other. Their size and fur color can vary. These mice are usually between 134 to 189 mm (5.3 to 7.4 in) long. Their tail makes up a big part of that length, from 73 and 116 mm (2.9 and 4.6 in).
Their fur is a yellowish-buff or tawny color. It feels a bit rough. The fur looks streaked or speckled. This is because of a mix of black guard hairs and lighter, banded hairs underneath. Sometimes, a dark stripe runs down their back. Their belly is grayish-white, sometimes with a hint of buff color.
You can tell this mouse apart from the hairy harvest mouse. The fulvous harvest mouse has different fur and skull shapes. Its tail is pale underneath. Also, its back feet are whitish or buff-colored.
Where They Live
The fulvous harvest mouse lives in many places. Its home range stretches from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. It goes north through Mexico. Then it reaches the southwestern United States. In the U.S., you can find them in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
They like to live in grassy areas. These places often have some shrubs. They especially like areas with mesquite trees. They also live in places where pine trees and grass grow together.
Life of the Fulvous Harvest Mouse
The fulvous harvest mouse is a nocturnal animal. This means it is most active at night. During the day, it rests and sleeps.
In colder places like Arkansas, these mice get ready for winter. They start storing fat in their bodies around November. They have the most fat in January. Then, they slowly use up these fat stores until April. To stay warm, their hair grows longer in winter. They might also lower their body temperature a bit when they sleep during the day. If they get too cold, they can warm up quickly. Then they become active again.
These mice build their nests in plants. The nest is usually just above the ground. It's a ball made of grasses and sedges. It's about 75 mm (3.0 in) across. Often, a male and female mouse live together in one nest. When they are inside, they plug up the entrance. They might have one or two entrances. When they move around outside, they spend a lot of time in low plants, not just on the ground.
What They Eat
The food these mice eat changes with the seasons. In warmer places, they mostly eat insects and other small creatures all year. In colder areas, they eat more insects in spring. But in fall and winter, they eat more seeds. They also eat a small amount of green leaves and other plant parts.
Who Eats Them
Some animals hunt and eat these mice. Predators include barn owls (Tyto alba). Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) also hunt them.
Reproduction and Young
In Mexico, fulvous harvest mice seem to have babies all year long. But in Texas, they usually have two main breeding times. One is in late spring. The second is a few months later.
A mother mouse usually has two to four babies at a time. Sometimes, she might have more. When they are born, the babies are blind and have no fur. They cannot help themselves. Their eyes open when they are between 9 and 12 days old. They stop drinking their mother's milk when they are about 13 to 16 days old. Male mice can live up to 15 months. Female mice usually live up to 12 months.
