The cactus mouse has a sparsely furred tail with a slight tuft at the tip its pelage is brownish to cinnamonĮrriam�s mouse is gray with a white underside. The three Peromyscus species are similar in appearance, with long tails and big ears. Spanish names: rata (rat), rat�n (mouse), rata de campo (woodrat) Distinguishing features White-throated woodrat, or packrat (Neotoma albigula) Southern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys torridus) The rest of the tooth is softer and wears down quicker than the enamel as the rodent gnaws, thus creating aĬhisel-like shape to the front teeth that is unique to the rodent family. A layer of hard orange enamel covers the front surface of the teeth. Growing and must be kept trimmed down by constant gnawing. Populations still fluctuate with drought and predation, but the mice and rats are able to respond to goodĬonditions by rapidly rebuilding their numbers.Īll rodents, including the mice and rats, are gnawers. In response, they breed prolifically, with some species, like the cotton rats, able to produce 8 to 10 litters a year. These little rodents are at the bottom of the vertebrate food chain, preyed upon by everything from coyotes and snakes to hawks and bobcats. The desert woodrat lives in the most xeric (arid or dry) environments, while Merriam�s mouse fills a niche in mesquite bosques. Here we have predatory grasshopper mice that hunt and kill other mice, and packrat builders that construct houses of sticks and debris up to 2 or 3 feet (1 m) high and 8 feet (2.4 m) wide. The Sonoran Desert, with its great diversity of habitats, is blessed with an abundance and a wide variety of these fascinating creatures. They are adaptable creatures that can inhabit almost any environment. The rats and mice are among the most sucessful mammal groups on Earth.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |