Aztec mouse

Aztec mouse
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Genus: Peromyscus
Species group: P. aztecus
Species: P. aztecus
Binomial name
Peromyscus aztecus
(Saussure, 1860)

The Aztec mouse (Peromyscus aztecus) is a species of rodents in the family Cricetidae.

It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.

Habitat

The Aztec mouse lives in temperate and mountainous regions, in the limits of humid highland forests. Its habitat is usually between 500 m and 3200 m above sea level. It is also found in sugar cane and coffee plantations.[1]

Feeding habits

The Aztec mouse is mainly an insectivore; it eats ants, crickets, beetles, and weevils. Its diet also includes some seeds (notably from the Solanum genus) and green plant material.[1]

Distribution

The species is found in some disjunct regions: the centers of Veracruz and Guerrero, Oaxaca, and eastern Chiapas in Mexico. It is also found in some regions of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.[1]

Conservation status

The Aztec mouse is not a threatened species. Its conservation status is of least concern because its large distribution, a presumed large population, and its tolerance to various kinds of habitats. Since it lives in protected areas and no threat is apparent, it is unlikely to decline to levels of threatened species.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Castro-Arellano, I. & Vázquez, E. (2008). Peromyscus aztecus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 18 August 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.