| Grasshopper Mice Temporal range: Early Pliocene - Recent |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Genus: | Onychomys Baird, 1857 |
| species | |
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Onychomys arenicola |
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The genus Onychomys contains species commonly referred to as grasshopper mice. This is a genus of New World mouse only distantly related to the common house mouse, Mus musculus. There are three species. They are endemic to the United States and Mexico.
Its behavior is rather distinct from other mice. It is a carnivorous rodent, dining on insects (such as grasshoppers), worms, scorpions, snakes, and even other mice. It also stalks its prey in the manner of a cat, sneaking up quietly, and defends its territory by "howling" like a small wolf. The Grasshopper Mouse is known to be immune to various venoms released by its prey. (Scorpions, Snakes, etc.)