Spiny pocket mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spiny pocket mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chaetodipus
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| Species: |
spinatus
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The spiny pocket mouse (Chaetodipus spinatus) is a small rodent that belongs to the Heteromyidae family. This family includes other pocket mice and kangaroo rats. You can find these mice in Baja California in Mexico and in parts of the United States, including Arizona, California, and Nevada.
What Does It Look Like?
The spiny pocket mouse has special features that help it survive. It has long hairs and unique spines on its back. These spines are quite flexible, not stiff like a porcupine's quills. The presence of these spines helps tell C. spinatus apart from other types of pocket mice.
These mice have small, round ears. Their tails are quite long, usually about 126% of the length of their head and body combined! Their fur color can change a bit depending on where they live, but it's usually brown on their backs and tan on their sides. A spiny pocket mouse weighs about 13–18 g (0.46–0.63 oz), which is like weighing a few quarters. They can be about 164 to 225 mm (6.5 to 8.9 in) long from their nose to the tip of their tail.
Where Do They Live?
Spiny pocket mice live in many places. You can find them in Southern Nevada and on the islands in the Gulf of California. They can live at elevations up to 900 m (3,000 ft). Their home range also stretches from southeast California all the way south to the tip of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. Because they live in such a wide area, scientists are not worried about this mouse becoming extinct.
What Do They Eat?
The spiny pocket mouse's diet depends on where it lives. They mostly eat seeds, plants found in the desert, and different types of grasses. When it rains, they might also look for fresh green plants to munch on. It's often hard to find water in their desert homes, so spiny pocket mice get most of the water they need from the food they eat.
How Do They Behave?
The spiny pocket mouse is a nocturnal animal. This means it is most active at night. Being active at night helps them live in hot, rocky desert areas. They can avoid the scorching sun by staying hidden during the day. Spiny pocket mice sleep and raise their young safely inside burrows they dig in the ground.
