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Overview
Brief Summary
Description
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Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
- Original description: Merriam, C.H., 1902. Twenty new pocket mice (Heteromys and Liomys) from Mexico, p. 44. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 15:41-50.
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Distribution
Range Description
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Geographic Range
Liomys irroratus is found mainly in Mexico, though the species has been reported in southern Texas. It ranges from southern Texas in the United States and from southcentral Chihuahua to Oaxaca in Mexico.
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
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National Distribution
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
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Global Range: Southern Texas (Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties), and south-central Chihuahua to Oaxaca, Mexico (Patton, in Wilson and Reeder 1993).
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Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Liomys irroratus is a medium-sized mouse with rough pelage covering the upper body. The hairs are flattened with sharp points and grooves. The upper fur is dark gray with an orange tint. White fur covers the underside of the mouse except for the heel of the hind foot. The tail is covered with sparse hairs and is bicolored, brown above and white below. They possess external, fur lined, cheek pouches. The dental formula is that of a typical heteromyid rodent: I 1/1, C 0/0, PM 1/1, M 3/3. The average weight of Liomys irroratus is between 50 and 60 grams for males, and between 35 and 50 grams for females. The average total length of this species is 237 mm, with a tail length of 122 mm, and a hind foot length of 30mm.
Range mass: 50 to 60 g.
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Size
Size in North America
Length:
Average: 238 mm males; 226 mm females
Range: 216-262 mm males; 207-251 mm females
Weight:
Range: 40-60 g males; 35-50 g females
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Like other pocket mice, it forages for seeds and stores them in the fur-lined cheek pouches. In southern Texas, its diet includes seeds of hackberry, mesquite, and other shrubs. It is nocturnal, staying in burrows during the day. The entrance to the burrow is often covered with leaves or other vegetation, or with a small mound of soil. This species breeds throughout the year, but peak reproductive period appears to be during the fall or winter. The number of young varies from two to eight, with an average litter size of four (Wilson and Ruff 1999).
Systems
- Terrestrial
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IUCN
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Habitat
This mouse lives in dense vegetation and near rocky mountain slopes or stone fences. It has been found in the dense brush along the banks of the Rio Grande River and beside oxbow lakes, in subtropical palm forests, thickets of prickly pear cactus, and in chaparral. They build burrows that have their opening closed off by vegetation or mounds of dirt.
Terrestrial Biomes: chaparral ; scrub forest
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Comments: Lives in dense brush on ridges forming the old Rio Grande river bed. Usually closely associated with prickly pear thickets. Nests are in underground burrows.
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Migration
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
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Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
The Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse feeds on the seeds of hackberry, mesquite, and other shrubs as well as herbaceous plants. These mice have been known to store seeds in burrows.
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Life History and Behavior
Cyclicity
Reproduction
Reproduction
Little is known about the breeding habits of Liomys irroratus. Litter sizes range from two to eight, with an average of four. Immature individuals are found throughout the year except for the month of May, suggesting that breeding occurs throughout the year.
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Breeding may occur throughout the year; probably most concentrated from November-February. Possibly 2-3 litters per year, 3-6 young per litter.
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Liomys irroratus
There are 7 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
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Download FASTA File
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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Liomys irroratus
Public Records: 7
Species: 15
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Justification
History
- 1996Lower Risk/least concern
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Conservation Status
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
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National NatureServe Conservation Status
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N3 - Vulnerable
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NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
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Trends
Population
Population Trend
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IUCN
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Threats
Threats
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IUCN
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Management
Conservation Actions
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IUCN
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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Liomys irroratus is not known to have any adverse affects on human populations.
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Animal Diversity Web
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Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
None known.
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Animal Diversity Web
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Wikipedia
Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse
The Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys irroratus) is a species of rodent in the Heteromyidae family. It is found in Mexico and in Texas in the United States.[1]
References
- ^ a b Linzey, A.V., Timm, R., Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T., Castro-Arellano, I. & Lacher, T. (2008). Liomys irroratus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 16 January 2009.
 | This Heteromyidae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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