Grasshopper mouse
The genus Onychomys contains species commonly referred to as grasshopper mice.
Biology
The three species in this genus of New World mice are only distantly related to the common house mouse, Mus musculus. They are endemic to the United States and Mexico.
The southern grasshopper mouse is around 3.5 to 5.0 in long in body, and its tail is generally 1.0 to 2.5 in long. [1]
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.).[2]
Grasshopper mice tend to have low population densities. They are either alone or in pairs, one male with one female. Very territorial, their average territory size may equal their home range size of about 28 acres.
Their aggressive nature extends beyond their hunting habits, and when held in captivity with other mice, they will often kill and eat those other mice.
Species
References
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| | | Baiomyini | |
- Southern Pygmy Mouse (B. musculus)
- Northern Pygmy Mouse (B. taylori)
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- Alston's Brown Mouse (S. teguina)
- Chiriqui Brown Mouse (S. xerampelinus)
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| Neotomini | |
- Subgenus Neotoma: White-throated Woodrat (N. albigula)
- Tamaulipan Woodrat (N. angustapalata)
- Bryant's Woodrat (N. bryanti)
- Nicaraguan Woodrat (N. chrysomelas)
- Arizona Woodrat (N. devia)
- Florida Woodrat (N. floridana )
- Goldman's Woodrat (N. goldmani)
- Desert Woodrat (N. lepida )
- White-toothed Woodrat (N. leucodon)
- Big-eared Woodrat (N. macrotis)
- Allegheny Woodrat (N. magister)
- Mexican Woodrat (N. mexicana)
- Southern Plains Woodrat (N. micropus)
- Nelson's Woodrat (N. nelsoni)
- Bolaños Woodrat(N. palatina)
- Stephen's Woodrat (N. stephensi)
- Subgenus Teanopus: Sonoran Woodrat (N. phenax)
- Subgenus Teonoma: Bushy-tailed Woodrat (N. cinerea)
- Dusky-footed Woodrat (N. fuscipes)
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| Xenomys |
- Magdalena Rat (X. nelsoni)
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| Hodomys |
- Allen's Wood Rat (H. alleni)
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- Goldman's Diminutive Woodrat (N. goldmani)
- Diminutive Woodrat (N. neotomodon)
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| Ochrotomyini | |
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| Reithrodontomyini | |
- californicus group: California Mouse (P. californicus)
- eremicus group: Cactus Mouse (P. eremicus)
- Angel Island Mouse (P. guardia)
- San Lorenzo Mouse (P. interparietalis)
- Dickey's Deer Mouse (P. dickeyi)
- False Canyon Mouse (P. pseudocrinitus)
- Eva's Desert Mouse (P. eva)
- Burt's Deer Mouse (P. caniceps)
- Mesquite Mouse (P. merriami)
- hooperi group: Hooper's Mouse (P. hooperi)
- leucopus group: White-footed Mouse (P. leucopus)
- Cotton Mouse (P. gossypinus)
- aztecus group: Aztec Mouse (P. aztecus)
- Gleaning Mouse (P. spicilegus)
- Winkelmann's Mouse (P. winkelmanni)
- boylii group: Brush Mouse (P. boylii)
- Nimble-Footed Mouse (P. levipes)
- Schmidly's Deer Mouse (P. schmidlyi)
- San Esteban Island Mouse (P. stephani)
- Texas Mouse (P. attwateri)
- Nayarit Mouse (P. simulus)
- Tres Marias Island Mouse (P. madrensis)
- White-Ankled Mouse (P. pectoralis)
- Chihuahuan Mouse (P. polius)
- melanophrys group: Plateau Mouse (P. melanophrys)
- Marsh Mouse (P. perfulvus)
- Puebla Deer Mouse (P. mekisturus)
- furvus group: Blackish Deer Mouse (P. furvus)
- El Carrizo Deer Mouse (P. ochraventer)
- Maya Mouse (P. mayensis)
- mexicanus group: Mexican Deer Mouse (P. mexicanus)
- Naked-Eared Deer Mouse (P. gymnotis)
- Guatemalan Deer Mouse (P. guatemalensis)
- Chiapan Deer Mouse (P. zarhynchus)
- Big Deer Mouse (P. grandis)
- Yucatan Deer Mouse (P. yucatanicus)
- Stirton's Deer Mouse (P. stirtoni)
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- Guerrero Harvest Mouse (R. bakeri)
- Short-nosed Harvest Mouse (R. brevirostris)
- Sonoran Harvest Mouse (R. burti)
- Volcano Harvest Mouse (R. chrysopsis)
- Chiriqui Harvest Mouse (R. creper)
- Darien Harvest Mouse (R. darienensis)
- Fulvous Harvest Mouse (R. fulvescens)
- Slender Harvest Mouse (R. gracilis)
- Hairy Harvest Mouse (R. hirsutus)
- Eastern Harvest Mouse (R. humulis)
- Western Harvest Mouse (R. megalotis)
- Mexican Harvest Mouse (R. mexicanus)
- Small-Toothed Harvest Mouse (R. microdon)
- Plains Harvest Mouse (R. montanus)
- R. musseri
- Nicaraguan Harvest Mouse (R. paradoxus)
- Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse (R. raviventris)
- Rodriguez's Harvest Mouse (R. rodriguezi)
- Cozumel Harvest Mouse (R. spectabilis)
- Sumichrast's Harvest Mouse (R. sumichrasti)
- Narrow-Nosed Harvest Mouse (R. tenuirostris)
- Zacatecas Harvest Mouse (R. zacatecae)
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| Neotomodon |
- Mexican Volcano Mouse (N. alstoni)
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- Yellow Isthmus Rat (I. flavidus)
- Mount Pirri Isthmus Rat (I. pirrensis)
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- Oaxaca Giant Deer Mouse (M. cryophilus)
- Nelson's Giant Deer Mouse (M. nelsoni)
- Thomas's Giant Deer Mouse (M. thomasi)
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- Chinanteco Deermouse (H. chinanteco)
- Delicate Deermouse (H. delicatulus)
- Ixtlán Deermouse (H. ixtlani)
- Zempoaltepec deermouse (H. lepturus)
- Crested-tailed Deermouse (H. lophurus)
- H. schmidlyi
- Jico Deermouse (H. simulatus)
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| Osgoodomys |
- Michoacan Deer Mouse (O. banderanus)
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