Species of rodent
Western harvest mouse
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Scientific classification
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Domain:
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Eukaryota
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Kingdom:
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Animalia
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Phylum:
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Chordata
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Class:
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Mammalia
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Order:
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Rodentia
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Family:
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Cricetidae
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Subfamily:
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Neotominae
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Genus:
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Reithrodontomys
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Species:
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R. megalotis
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Binomial name
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Reithrodontomys megalotis
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Synonyms
[2]
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- Reithrodon megalotis
(Baird, 1858)
- Reithrodontomys amoles
A.H. Howell, 1914
- Reithrodontomys arizonensis
J.A. Allen, 1895
- Reithrodontomys aztecus
J.A. Allen, 1893
- Reithrodontomys dychei
J.A. Allen, 1895
- Reithrodontomys dychei
subsp.
nebrascensis
J.A. Allen, 1895
- Reithrodontomys megalotis
subsp.
arizonensis
J.A. Allen, 1895
- Reithrodontomys megalotis
subsp.
distichlis
von Bloeker, 1937
- Reithrodontomys megalotis
subsp.
limicola
von Bloeker, 1932
- Reithrodontomys megalotis
subsp.
ravus
Goldman, 1939
- Reithrodontomys megalotis
subsp.
santacruzae
Pearson, 1951
- Reithrodontomys saturatus
subsp.
alticolus
Merriam, 1901
- Rhithrodontomys catalinae
Elliot, 1904
- Rhithrodontomys peninsulae
Elliot, 1903
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The
western harvest mouse
(
Reithrodontomys megalotis
) is a small
neotomine
mouse native to most of the western United States.
[3]
Many authorities consider the endangered
salt marsh harvest mouse
to be a
subspecies
, but the two are now usually treated separately.
[1]
Distribution
[
edit
]
Its range extends from southwest
British Columbia
and southeast Alberta continuously to west
Texas
, northeast
Arkansas
, northwest
Indiana
, southwest
Wisconsin
, and the interior of
Mexico
to
Oaxaca
.
Description and comparison with similar species
[
edit
]
The harvest mouse has brownish fur with buff sides, a white belly, and an indistinct white stripe on the fur along the spine. Adults grow up to 11 to 17 centimetres (4.3 to 6.7 in) in length with a tail length of 5 to 10 centimetres (2.0 to 3.9 in). Their height (from the ground to the highest point of their back) is between 1.5 and 2.0 centimeters. A mature mouse weighs anywhere from 9 to 22 grams (0.32 to 0.78 oz). There is no sexual dimorphism in this species.
[4]
Similar species are the
plains harvest mouse
(
Reithrodontomys montanus
), which has a more distinct but narrower stripe on its spine, and the
fulvous harvest mouse
(
R. fulvescens
), which has a longer tail. Also similar is the
salt marsh harvest mouse
(
R. raviventris
), which has an underbelly fur that is more pinkish cinnamon to tawny. Finally, the
house mouse
(
Mus musculus
) has
incisors
without grooves, unlike those of the western harvest mouse. The dental formula of
R. megalotis
is
1.0.0.3
1.0.0.3
= 16.
[5]
Behavior
[
edit
]
The mouse is
nocturnal
, with particularly intense activity on very dark nights. This mouse is particularly resourceful, making use of the ground runways of other rodents. It is also a very agile climber. Once temperatures reach a certain degree, the western harvest mouse goes into torpor, but scientists have yet to determine if it goes into true hibernation. This mouse builds spherical nests that are about 125mm in diameter. These nests can be found on the ground or under trees, logs, or plants that aid in protection from predators. Nests can also be found above ground or in burrows. There are usually one or more access points at the base of the nest.
[6]
Diet
[
edit
]
The western harvest mouse is an herbivore with a diet consisting of mainly seeds and grains from various plants. These plants include: fruits, vetch, blue grass, fescue, oats, and brome grass.
[6]
In preparation for autumn and winter, the western harvest mouse stores its food along runways created throughout fields that it occupies and in underground vaults.
[5]
Although its primary food source is seeds, springtime dining is augmented with new plant growth. In June, July and August the mouse is known to consume certain
insects
, especially
grasshoppers
and
caterpillars
.
Breeding
[
edit
]
Breeding
nests
are spherical constructions woven from grass or other plant material. A nest is approximately 13 centimeters in diameter and lined with a more downy material of fibrous plants. A nest may have one or more entrances near its base. Most commonly, the nest is built on the ground in a protected area such as within a shrub or beside a fallen tree. However, the mouse will occasionally place the nest above-ground within a shrub.
It breeds from early spring to late autumn, with reduced activity at midsummer. The gestation period is 23 to 24 days. Repeated
fertilization
often occurs immediately after giving
birth
. It is not uncommon for a female to have ten to fourteen litters per annum, with a typical litter size of two to six individuals. However, litters of up to nine offspring can occur. Thus an annual production of forty to sixty young per female is normal. Newborn mice weigh approximately 1.0 to 1.5 grams.
[6]
Threats
[
edit
]
Domestic and feral cats are a threat to the western harvest mouse.
[4]
On the
IUCN Red List
it is listed as "Least Concern" (LC). Its many predators include the
fox
,
weasel
,
coyote
,
hawk
,
snake
and
owl
species. Other predators include shrikes, squirrels, raptors, short-tailed shrews, cats, and scorpions.
[6]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Cassola, F. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment].
"
Reithrodontomys megalotis
"
.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
.
2016
: e.T19410A115151098.
doi
:
10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T19410A22386423.en
. Retrieved
15 February
2023
.
- ^
"
Reithrodontomys megalotis
(Baird, 1857)"
.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
. Retrieved
15 February
2023
.
- ^
Musser, G.G.
; Carleton, M.D. (2005).
"Superfamily Muroidea"
. In
Wilson, D.E.
; Reeder, D.M (eds.).
Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference
(3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1082?1083.
ISBN
978-0-8018-8221-0
.
OCLC
62265494
.
- ^
a
b
n.a. (n.d.).
"Reithrodontomys megalotis"
.
Encyclopedia of Life
. Retrieved
2 December
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Webster, David; Jones, J. Knox (1982).
"
Reithrodontomys megalotis
"
.
Mammalian Species
(167): 1?5.
doi
:
10.2307/3504020
.
JSTOR
3504020
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Konishi, Hiromi (2003). Arbogast, Brian; Shefferly, Nancy (eds.).
"
Reithrodontomys megalotis
"
.
Animal Diversity Web
. Retrieved
15 February
2023
.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals
, ed. by John O. Whitaker Jr., Chanticleer Press (1997)
ISBN
0-679-44631-1
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Reithrodontomys megalotis
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Reithrodon megalotis
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