Panamanian spiny pocket mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Panamanian spiny pocket mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Heteromyidae |
| Genus: | Heteromys |
| Species: |
H. adspersus
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| Binomial name | |
| Heteromys adspersus Peters, 1874
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The Panamanian spiny pocket mouse (Heteromys adspersus) is a small rodent that lives only in Panama. It's also sometimes called Peter's spiny pocket mouse. This mouse is part of a family called Heteromyidae, which includes other pocket mice and kangaroo rats. It's very similar to Salvin's spiny pocket mouse. Scientists used to put it in a different group, but now they know it belongs with other Heteromys mice.
What Does It Look Like?
The Panamanian spiny pocket mouse looks a lot like its relatives. Adult mice are about 22 to 28 centimeters (9 to 11 inches) long. This length includes their tail, which is usually 10 to 15 centimeters (4 to 6 inches) long. Male mice are typically a bit bigger than females.
Their fur is a chocolate to grayish-brown color. Their belly and legs are yellowish. On their sides and upper body, you'll see darker spines mixed in with the brown fur. They might also have a few orange hairs. Their tail has some hair and is darker on top than underneath.
Where Do They Live?
Panamanian spiny pocket mice are found only in southern and western Panama. They live along the Pacific coast, in areas between the cities of David and Chepo. You can also find them inland, near the start of rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean.
These mice prefer hilly areas with scrubland. They also live in secondary forests, which are forests that have grown back after being cut down. They like semi-arid savannah country too. They usually live in places that are below about 600 meters (2,000 feet) in height.
Behaviour
Panamanian spiny pocket mice are active at night. This means they are nocturnal. They mainly eat nuts from palm trees, like Bactris and Attalea. But they also munch on other plant parts and some insects.
During the day, they sleep in their burrows. These burrows have several entrances, which helps them escape if danger comes. They also use their burrows to store seeds for later. They find their food mostly by smell. They have special cheek pouches that they use to carry seeds.
These mice are usually solitary, meaning they live alone. Each mouse has its own home area, which is about 0.56 hectares (1.4 acres) on average. Even though they can be aggressive if kept together, many can live close to each other in the wild. Sometimes, up to 11 mice can live in an area the size of a football field, and their home areas might overlap.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Panamanian spiny pocket mice have their babies between December and May. This is during Panama's dry season and the start of the wet season. Female mice usually have one or two litters each year. Each litter has about two to four baby mice.
Most of these mice do not live for more than a year in the wild. However, some have been known to live up to eighteen months.
 | Percy Lavon Julian |
 | Katherine Johnson |
 | George Washington Carver |
 | Annie Easley |
