![]() Most importantly, we still don’t know that much about them. In terms of why we care about them, well, they have awesome cheek pouches and barely need any water!!! What else do you want? Just kidding, there are many more reasons why it’s worth paying attention to them. The author collecting vegetation data for her small mammal research project. In general, plains pocket mice seem to prefer sparsely vegetated areas (hopefully my data will test whether that holds up on our properties). Sandhills are a good bet, as are other fields that have open sandy patches, especially ones that are grazed so they’re more open. They are most frequently found in (usually sandy) areas with friable soil. Also length of lines is for convenience and doesn’t represent any timescale.Īll this is very interesting, but doesn’t help you identify a plains pocket mouse if you saw it in the field… In my mind, its key identifying features include its small size (usually 7-15 grams, 99-150mm nose to tail tip), small ears usually with a white dot below them, grooved upper incisors (if you hold them by their scruff, you’ll see a line down each upper incisor), and of course, their cheek pouches! They tend to be dark on their back, with a yellowish (“buff-colored”) line on their sides and white/pale underneath. FYI, there are a lot of other critters in the Order Rodentia that are not shown there are 5 suborders I’m not showing and many branches that diverge from those suborders. So whenever two branches come together, it’s understood that the join represents the most recent common ancestor. Phylogenetic trees show the inferred evolutionary relationships among species based on similarities/differences in physical and/or genetic characteristics. This is a very simplified phylogenetic tree of the Order Rodentia. In fact, the plains pocket mouse is more closely related to pocket gophers than to any other rodent I caught! Heteromyidae includes kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, and pocket mice, though none are technically rats or mice. Those other rodents - northern grasshopper mouse, deer mouse, harvest mouse, voles - all belong to one taxonomic family Cricetidae (which includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings and New World rats and mice), whereas the plains pocket mouse is from the family Heteromyidae. The other crazy thing about the plains pocket mouse is that it is not closely related to any of the other rodents* that I caught. Furthermore, their habits also lend to water conservation pocket mice spend most of the day underground in burrows where it’s cooler and more humid, they plug their entrance holes to keep in moisture (and keep out predators), and they can change slow their metabolism (enter torpor) when it’s too hot or too cold. These adaptations help the plains pocket mice go for six weeks without water! Most of the moisture they need is obtained from seeds and their kidneys are extremely efficient. only a temporary undignified moment, and then back to the sandhills! Look at those cheek pouches! Remember, I was only holding this critter for a few seconds before I released it. If the pouches are fur-lined, then no spit wasted! The thought is that if pocket mice had a hamster-like pouch, then every time they spit out the seeds they were carrying they’d be wasting precious moisture. Pocket mice and their relatives (other pocket mice, kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice) are often associated with arid environments and these critters are all extremely water efficient. The diet of the plains pocket mice is almost entirely grass and weed seeds, and the pouches allow them to carry seeds back to their burrows and cache them.īased on what I read, it’s thought that the purpose of these pouches being fur-lined is to conserve spit. Fur-lined cheek pouches!!! Imagine if, when you opened your mouth, on each side there was a little fur-lined pouch that ran all the way back to almost your shoulders! Gives me the heebie jeebies to think about, but pretty awesome if you’re a pocket mouse. ![]() Photo by Chris HelzerĪrguably the sleekest and most adorable of the critters I caught, the most distinguishing feature of the plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens) is its fur-lined cheek pouches. Top tends to be brown/buff-colored, with a yellowish line along its side and a white underbelly. So Cute! Notice the small eyes, small ears, and white dot under the ear. The plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens). ![]()
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