San Joaquin pocket mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Joaquin pocket mouse |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Perognathus
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| Species: |
inornatus
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The San Joaquin pocket mouse (Perognathus inornatus) is a small rodent. It is also known as the Salinas pocket mouse. This mouse is special because it is found only in California, United States. It lives in dry areas like deserts and semi-deserts.
Contents
What Makes Them Special?
Pocket mice are different from other small rodents because they have special fur-lined pouches on the outside of their cheeks. They use these pouches to carry food, just like pockets!
The San Joaquin pocket mouse is different from kangaroo mice because its feet are not completely covered in fur. Kangaroo rats also have fur-lined pockets, but they are much bigger. Kangaroo rats also have dark stripes on their hips and on their tails.
This pocket mouse is usually about 12.8 to 16.0 centimeters (5 to 6.3 inches) long. This measurement includes its tail, which is about 6.5 to 7.8 centimeters (2.6 to 3.1 inches) long. The tail has a small tuft of hair at its tip. Their fur is short and soft. It is a buff (light yellowish-brown) color. Sometimes, they have a light patch of fur near their small, round ears. The top and bottom of their tail are the same color.
Where They Live
This pocket mouse lives only in California. You can find it in the Tehachapi Mountains and on the lower parts of the western Sierra Nevada. They live at heights up to 600 meters (about 2,000 feet) above sea level.
They also live in the upper Sacramento Valley, the San Joaquin Valley, and the Salinas Valley. Their home stretches south to the Mojave Desert. They prefer areas with grasslands and semi-desert plants. They also live in hot desert areas where plants like creosote bush and Joshua tree grow.
Life and Habits
The San Joaquin pocket mouse mostly eats seeds from grasses and other plants. They carry these seeds back to their burrow in their cheek pouches. They might also eat small, soft insects.
They store extra seeds in special rooms inside their burrow. This way, they have food when it is hard to find, like in winter. In winter, they might go into a deep sleep called torpor. This helps them save energy when food is scarce.
Reproduction
These mice usually have babies between March and July. A mother mouse can have two or more litters (groups of babies) each year. Each litter usually has four to six young mice.
Conservation Status
The San Joaquin pocket mouse has a wide range where it lives. It is common in many of the places it calls home. Because of this, its population seems to be safe.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a group that checks on animals around the world. They have listed the San Joaquin pocket mouse as a species of "least concern". This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing. However, in the northern parts of their range, farming is changing their habitat. This can break up the areas where they live.
See also
In Spanish: Perognathus inornatus para niños
