Species MammalsDesert Pocket Mouse

Desert Pocket Mouse

Chaetodipus penicillatus

CommonMammal
Illustration of Desert Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus)

The Desert Pocket Mouse is a pale, sandy-colored rodent of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts that remains active in summer but enters periodic torpor during the coldest winter months. Its rump hairs are somewhat spiny, intermediate between the smooth perognathus mice and the fully hispid chaetodipus species. A highly efficient seed-cacher, it can carry seeds in its cheek pouches across large distances.

Habitat
Sandy Sonoran and Chihuahuan desert flats and washes
Diet
Seeds, particularly grass seeds
How common
Common

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