northern pygmy mouse
Baiomys taylori
Summary 2
The northern pygmy mouse (Baiomys taylori) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is known as ratón-pigmeo norteño in the Spanish-speaking areas of its range. It is found in Mexico and the United States.
Description 3
Northern Pygmy Mice are the smallest rodents in North America. They live in a variety of habitats where there is dense ground cover, and eat grass seeds and leaves, prickly pear cactus fruit and stems, mesquite beans, and granjeno berries (granjeno is an evergreen shrub). They will also eat snakes, snails, and insects if presented with them. They cope with desert heat by entering torpor. Males help care for the young, grooming them and returning them to the nest. Nests have been found under fallen logs or in thick clumps of grass. Young Mice reach sexual maturity quickly, females at about 60 days and males at about 70-80 days. The median life span is only 23 weeks, although captives, in laboratories, have been known to live as long as 170 weeks. Snakes and owls prey on them.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
Sources and Credits
- (c) Paulina Arias Caballero, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paulina Arias Caballero
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baiomys_taylori
- (c) Smithsonian Institution, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/6624555
