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. Other information about this animal is scarce.The plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens). Their breeding season is mainly July to August and the females tend to have 4 embryos at a time. Seeds of two species of pigeon grass, a few other grasses, and wild buckwheat have been found in their burrows. Even those caught in grain fields usually have their pouches filled with weed seeds. Some food found in their cheek pouches are: seeds of needle grass ( Stipa ), bind weed, sandbur grass, a small bean (probably Astragalus ), and sedge ( Cyperus ). They are accustomed to sandy soil and eat mostly seeds, large and small grasses and small leaves of plants. They often live directly underneath Spanish bayonet or prickly pear plants. It has soft silky fur and grows to be 5 inches (13 cm) long, although nearly half of that is the tail. It ranges from southwestern Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota to northern Texas east of the Rockies, and from northern Utah and Colorado to northern Chihuahua west of the Rockies. The plains pocket mouse ( Perognathus flavescens ) is a heteromyid rodent of North America.
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