Heteromyidae
Encyclopedia
The family of rodent
s that include kangaroo rat
s, kangaroo mice and rock pocket mice
is the Heteromyidae family. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows (as opposed to true rats that build nests) within the desert
s and grassland
s of western North America
, though species within the Heteromys
and Liomys
genera
are also found in forest
s and extend down as far as northern South America
. They feed mostly on seed
s and other plant parts, which they carry in their cheek pouches to their burrows.
Although they are very different in physical appearance, the closest relatives of the heteromyids are pocket gopher
s in the Geomyidae family.
Most authorities prior to this (Alexander and Riddle, 2005; Patton, 2005) treat Liomys as a distinct genus from Heteromys.
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s that include kangaroo rat
Kangaroo rat
Kangaroo rats, genus Dipodomys, are small rodents native to North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form: as they hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, although they are not related...
s, kangaroo mice and rock pocket mice
Rock pocket mouse
The rock pocket mouse, C. intermedius, is one of 19 species of pocket mice in the genus Chaetodipus....
is the Heteromyidae family. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows (as opposed to true rats that build nests) within the desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s and grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s of western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, though species within the Heteromys
Heteromys
Heteromys is a genus of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.It contains the following species:* Trinidad Spiny Pocket Mouse * Southern Spiny Pocket Mouse...
and Liomys
Liomys
Liomys is a genus of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It contains the following species:* Panamanian Spiny Pocket Mouse * Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse * Painted Spiny Pocket Mouse...
genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
are also found in forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and extend down as far as northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. They feed mostly on seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s and other plant parts, which they carry in their cheek pouches to their burrows.
Although they are very different in physical appearance, the closest relatives of the heteromyids are pocket gopher
Pocket gopher
The pocket gophers are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. These are the "true" gophers, though several ground squirrels of the family Sciuridae are often called gophers as well...
s in the Geomyidae family.
Taxonomy
Hafner et al. (2007) summarized the molecular and morphological data to date and proposed the following taxonomy:- FAMILY HETEROMYIDAE
- Subfamily Heteromyinae
- Genus HeteromysHeteromysHeteromys is a genus of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.It contains the following species:* Trinidad Spiny Pocket Mouse * Southern Spiny Pocket Mouse...
— spiny pocket mice- Trinidad Spiny Pocket MouseTrinidad Spiny Pocket MouseThe Trinidad Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela....
, Heteromys anomalus - Southern Spiny Pocket MouseSouthern Spiny Pocket MouseThe Southern Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama....
, Heteromys australis - Overlook Spiny Pocket Mouse, Heteromys catopterius
- Desmarest's Spiny Pocket MouseDesmarest's Spiny Pocket MouseDesmarest's Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama....
, Heteromys desmarestianus - Gaumer's Spiny Pocket MouseGaumer's Spiny Pocket MouseGaumer's Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It ranges over northern Belize and Guatemala and the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where it lives in lowland semideciduous forest and thorn scrub. The species is nocturnal and terrestrial; it is solitary and strongly...
, Heteromys gaumeri - Goldman's Spiny Pocket MouseGoldman's Spiny Pocket MouseGoldman's Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It has been reported to be a subspecies of Heteromys desmarestianus. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat...
, Heteromys goldmani - Nelson's Spiny Pocket MouseNelson's Spiny Pocket MouseNelson's Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is endemic to Mexico and Guatemala.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Heteromys nelsoni - Heteromys nubicolens
- Paraguaná Spiny Pocket MouseParaguaná spiny pocket mouseThe Paraguaná spiny pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is known from two localities within the mostly arid Paraguaná Peninsula in Venezuela that provide mesic habitat with evergreen and semideciduous vegetation, such as terrestrial bromeliads....
, Heteromys oasicus - Mountain Spiny Pocket MouseMountain Spiny Pocket MouseThe Mountain Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is endemic to Costa Rica.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Heteromys oresterus - Ecuadoran Spiny Pocket MouseEcuadoran spiny pocket mouseThe Ecuadoran spiny pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is endemic to central western Ecuador, where it is found at elevations from sea level to 2000 m on the coastal plain and western slopes of the Andes...
, Heteromys teleus
- Trinidad Spiny Pocket Mouse
- Genus LiomysLiomysLiomys is a genus of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It contains the following species:* Panamanian Spiny Pocket Mouse * Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse * Painted Spiny Pocket Mouse...
- Panamanian Spiny Pocket MousePanamanian Spiny Pocket MouseThe Panamanian Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is endemic to Panama.It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Liomys adspersus - Mexican Spiny Pocket MouseMexican Spiny Pocket MouseThe Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Mexico and in Texas in the United States....
, Liomys irroratus - Painted Spiny Pocket MousePainted Spiny Pocket MouseThe Painted Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico....
, Liomys pictus - Salvin's Spiny Pocket MouseSalvin's Spiny Pocket MouseSalvin's Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
, Liomys salvini - Jaliscan Spiny Pocket MouseJaliscan Spiny Pocket MouseThe Jaliscan Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is endemic to Mexico, specifically the southeast Jalisco at an attitudinal range of 950 to 1615m....
, Liomys spectabilis
- Panamanian Spiny Pocket Mouse
- Genus Heteromys
- Subfamily DipodomyinaeDipodomyinaeThe subfamily Dipodomyinae contains two genera:*Subfamily Dipodomyinae**Genus Dipodomys — kangaroo rats***Agile Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys agilis***California Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys californicus...
— kangaroo rats and mice- Genus Dipodomys — kangaroo rats
- Agile Kangaroo RatAgile Kangaroo RatThe Agile Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys agilis, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California, Mexico and southern California in the United States....
, Dipodomys agilis - California Kangaroo RatCalifornia Kangaroo RatThe California Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys californicus. is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.It is endemic to the United States.-References:* Rodent Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 29 July 2007....
, Dipodomys californicus - Gulf Coast Kangaroo RatGulf Coast Kangaroo RatThe Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae found in Mexico and the United States. Its appearance and ecology are very similar to its putative sister-species, Ord's Kangaroo Rat.-References:...
, Dipodomys compactus - Desert Kangaroo RatDesert Kangaroo RatThe Desert Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys deserti, is a rodent species in the family Heteromyidae that is found in desert areas of southwestern North America...
, Dipodomys deserti - Texas Kangaroo RatTexas Kangaroo RatThe Texas Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys elator, is native-endemic to Texas where it lives in association with mesquite brush and in areas with firm clay-loam soils. It is a relatively large kangaroo rat that ranges in size from approximately 60 grams to 95 or more. Males and females of this species are...
, Dipodomys elator - Big-eared Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys elephantinus
- San Quintin Kangaroo RatSan Quintin Kangaroo RatThe San Quintin Kangaroo Rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it is known only from western Baja California. The natural habitat of the species is hot deserts. It is threatened by conversion of its habitat to agriculture...
, Dipodomys gravipes - Heermann's Kangaroo RatHeermann's Kangaroo RatHeermann's Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys heermanni, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.Dipodomys heermanni is endemic to California in the United States.-References:...
, Dipodomys heermanni - Giant Kangaroo RatGiant Kangaroo RatThe Giant Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ingens, is an endangered rodent species endemic to California.-Description:Dipodomys ingens, the Giant Kangaroo Rat, is one of over 20 species of kangaroo rats, which are small members of the rodent family...
, Dipodomys ingens - Merriam's Kangaroo RatMerriam's Kangaroo RatMerriam's Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys merriami, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. The species name commemorates Clinton Hart Merriam.-Range:...
, Dipodomys merriami - Chisel-toothed Kangaroo RatChisel-toothed Kangaroo RatThe Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.It is endemic to the United StatesThe Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys microps) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.It is endemic to the United StatesThe Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys...
, Dipodomys microps - Nelson's Kangaroo RatNelson's Kangaroo RatNelson's Kangaroo Rat is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.-External links:* -References:...
, Dipodomys nelsoni - Fresno Kangaroo RatFresno Kangaroo RatThe Fresno Kangaroo Rat or San Joaquin Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys nitratoides, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to areas near the San Joaquin Valley of California in the United States. Habitat loss due to agricultural development and urbanization has put this species at...
, Dipodomys nitratoides - Ord's Kangaroo RatOrd's Kangaroo RatOrd's Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii, is a kangaroo rat that is native to Western North America, specifically the Great Plains and the Great Basin with its range extending from extreme southern Canada to central Mexico....
, Dipodomys ordii - Panamint Kangaroo RatPanamint Kangaroo RatThe Panamint Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys panamintinus, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to the Mojave Desert in California and Nevada, in the United States. Their tails are 7 inches long. It can swim well...
, Dipodomys panamintinus - Phillip's Kangaroo RatPhillip's Kangaroo RatPhillips's Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys phillipsii, is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-References:...
, Dipodomys phillipsii - Dulzura Kangaroo RatDulzura Kangaroo RatThe Dulzura Kangaroo Rat, or San Diego Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys simulans, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.The Dulzura Kangaroo Rat occurs in Baja California, Mexico, and in the Colorado Desert and elsewhere in California in the United States....
, Dipodomys simulans - Banner-tailed Kangaroo RatBanner-tailed Kangaroo RatThe Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.They are found in Mexico and Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in the United States.-References:...
, Dipodomys spectabilis - Stephens' Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys stephensi
- Narrow-faced Kangaroo RatNarrow-faced Kangaroo RatThe Narrow-faced Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys venustus, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California in the United States.-References:...
, Dipodomys venustus
- Agile Kangaroo Rat
- Genus Microdipodops — kangaroo mice
- Pale Kangaroo MousePale Kangaroo MouseThe Pale Kangaroo Mouse or Soda Spring Valley Kangaroo Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California and Nevada in the United States....
, Microdipodops pallidus - Dark Kangaroo MouseDark Kangaroo MouseThe Dark Kangaroo Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah in the United States....
, Microdipodops megacephalus
- Pale Kangaroo Mouse
- Genus Dipodomys — kangaroo rats
- Subfamily Perognathinae — pocket mice
- Genus PerognathusPerognathusPerognathus is a genus of pocket mouse. Like other members of their family they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice.-Characteristics:...
- White-eared Pocket MouseWhite-eared Pocket MouseThe White-eared Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is endemic to the San Bernardino Mountains and the Tehachapi Mountains of southern California in the United States....
, Perognathus alticola - Arizona Pocket MouseArizona Pocket MouseThe Arizona Pocket Mouse is a rodent native to the Sonoran desert.It is a small mouse with a thinly furred tail that is smooth from base to tip . In color it ranges from tan to orange. It is a nocturnal, burrowing animal...
, Perognathus amplus - Olive-backed Pocket MouseOlive-backed Pocket MouseThe Olive-backed Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in the central Great Plains of Canada and the United States....
, Perognathus fasciatus - Plains Pocket MousePlains Pocket MouseThe Plains Pocket Mouse They generally live directly underneath Spanish bayonet or prickly pear plants. They are accustomed to sandy soil and eat mostly seeds, large and small grasses and small leaves of plants...
, Perognathus flavescens - Silky Pocket MouseSilky Pocket MouseThe Silky Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Mexico and the United States....
, Perognathus flavus - San Joaquin Pocket MouseSan Joaquin Pocket MouseThe San Joaquin Pocket Mouse or Salinas Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California in the United States....
, Perognathus inornatus - Little Pocket MouseLittle Pocket MouseThe Little Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Baja California and Sonora in Mexico and in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah in the United States...
, Perognathus longimembris - Merriam's Pocket MouseMerriam's Pocket MouseMerriam's Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Mexico and New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas in the United States....
, Perognathus merriami - Great Basin Pocket MouseGreat Basin Pocket MouseThe Great Basin Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in British Columbia in Canada and the western United States.-Taxonomy:...
, Perognathus parvus
- White-eared Pocket Mouse
- Genus ChaetodipusChaetodipusChaetodipus is a genus of pocket mouse containing 19 species endemic to the United States and Mexico. Like other members of their family such as pocket mice in the genus Perognathus, they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice....
- Little Desert Pocket MouseLittle Desert Pocket MouseThe Little Desert Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.-References:...
, Chaetodipus arenarius - Narrow-skulled Pocket MouseNarrow-skulled Pocket MouseThe Narrow-skulled Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.-References:...
, Chaetodipus artus - Bailey's Pocket MouseBailey's Pocket MouseBailey's Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Mexico and in California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States.-References:...
, Chaetodipus baileyi - California Pocket MouseCalifornia Pocket MouseThe California Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It is found in Baja California in Mexico and in California in the United States.-References:...
, Chaetodipus californicus - Dalquest's Pocket MouseDalquest's Pocket MouseDalquest's Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico.-References:...
, Chaetodipus dalquesti - Chihuahuan Desert Pocket Mouse, Chaetodipus eremicus
- San Diego Pocket MouseSan Diego Pocket MouseThe San Diego Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California in Mexico and California in the United States.-References:...
, Chaetodipus fallax - Long-tailed Pocket MouseLong-tailed Pocket MouseThe Long-tailed Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.It is found in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah in the United States and Baja California in Mexico.-References:...
, Chaetodipus formosus - Goldman's Pocket MouseGoldman's Pocket MouseGoldman's Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.-References:...
, Chaetodipus goldmani - Hispid Pocket MouseHispid pocket mouseThe hispid pocket mouse is a large pocket mouse native to the Great Plains region of North America. It is a member of the genus Chaetodipus.-Distribution:...
, Chaetodipus hispidus - Rock Pocket MouseRock pocket mouseThe rock pocket mouse, C. intermedius, is one of 19 species of pocket mice in the genus Chaetodipus....
, Chaetodipus intermedius - Lined Pocket MouseLined Pocket MouseLined Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. The species occurs in central Mexico....
, Chaetodipus lineatus - Nelson's Pocket MouseNelson's Pocket MouseNelson's Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Mexico and in New Mexico and Texas in United States.-References:...
, Chaetodipus nelsoni - Desert Pocket MouseDesert pocket mouseThe desert pocket mouse is a North American species of heteromyid rodent found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. True to its common name, the desert pocket mouse prefers sandy, sparsely vegetated desert. Its primary diet is seeds, making it a granivore...
, Chaetodipus penicillatus - Sinaloan Pocket MouseSinaloan Pocket MouseThe Sinaloan Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.-References:...
, Chaetodipus pernix - Baja Pocket MouseBaja Pocket MouseBaja Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. The species occurs in southern California, Baja California and on islands in the Gulf of California....
, Chaetodipus rudinoris - Spiny Pocket MouseSpiny Pocket MouseThe Spiny Pocket Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California in Mexico and in Arizona, California and Nevada in the United States.-References:...
, Chaetodipus spinatus
- Little Desert Pocket Mouse
- Genus Perognathus
- Subfamily Heteromyinae
Most authorities prior to this (Alexander and Riddle, 2005; Patton, 2005) treat Liomys as a distinct genus from Heteromys.
External links
- http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Heteromyidae.html