The family of rodents that include kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice and pocket mice is Heteromyidae. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, though species within the genera Heteromys and Liomys are also found in forests and extend down as far as northern South America. They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their cheek pouches[1] to their burrows.[2]
Although they are very different in physical appearance, the closest relatives of the heteromyids are pocket gophers in the family Geomyidae.
Taxonomy [edit]
- FAMILY HETEROMYIDAE
- Subfamily Heteromyinae
- Genus Heteromys — spiny pocket mice
- Trinidad spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys anomalus
- Southern spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys australis
- Overlook spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys catopterius[citation needed]
- Desmarest's spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys desmarestianus
- Gaumer's spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys gaumeri
- Goldman's spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys goldmani
- Nelson's spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys nelsoni
- Heteromys nubicolens[citation needed]
- Paraguaná spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys oasicus
- Mountain spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys oresterus
- Ecuadoran spiny pocket mouse, Heteromys teleus
- Genus Liomys
- Subfamily Dipodomyinae — kangaroo rats and mice
- Genus Dipodomys — kangaroo rats
- Agile kangaroo rat, Dipodomys agilis
- California kangaroo rat, Dipodomys californicus
- Gulf Coast kangaroo rat, Dipodomys compactus
- Desert kangaroo rat, Dipodomys deserti
- Texas kangaroo rat, Dipodomys elator
- Big-eared kangaroo rat, Dipodomys elephantinus[citation needed]
- San Quintin kangaroo rat, Dipodomys gravipes
- Heermann's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys heermanni
- Giant kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ingens
- Merriam's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys merriami
- Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat, Dipodomys microps
- Nelson's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys nelsoni
- Fresno kangaroo rat, Dipodomys nitratoides
- Ord's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ordii
- Panamint kangaroo rat, Dipodomys panamintinus
- Phillips' kangaroo rat, Dipodomys phillipsii
- Dulzura kangaroo rat, Dipodomys simulans
- Banner-tailed kangaroo rat, Dipodomys spectabilis
- Stephens' kangaroo rat, Dipodomys stephensi
- Narrow-faced kangaroo rat, Dipodomys venustus
- Genus Microdipodops — kangaroo mice
- Subfamily Perognathinae — pocket mice
- Genus Perognathus
- Genus Chaetodipus
- Little desert pocket mouse, Chaetodipus arenarius
- Narrow-skulled pocket mouse, Chaetodipus artus
- Bailey's pocket mouse, Chaetodipus baileyi
- California pocket mouse, Chaetodipus californicus
- Dalquest's pocket mouse, Chaetodipus dalquesti
- Chihuahuan pocket mouse, Chaetodipus eremicus
- San Diego pocket mouse, Chaetodipus fallax
- Long-tailed pocket mouse, Chaetodipus formosus
- Goldman's pocket mouse, Chaetodipus goldmani
- Hispid pocket mouse, Chaetodipus hispidus
- Rock pocket mouse, Chaetodipus intermedius
- Lined pocket mouse, Chaetodipus lineatus
- Nelson's pocket mouse, Chaetodipus nelsoni
- Desert pocket mouse, Chaetodipus penicillatus
- Sinaloan pocket mouse, Chaetodipus pernix
- Baja pocket mouse, Chaetodipus rudinoris
- Spiny pocket mouse, Chaetodipus spinatus
Hafner et al. (2007)[3] summarized the molecular and morphological data to date and proposed the following taxonomy:
Most authorities prior to this (Alexander and Riddle, 2005; Patton, 2005) treat Liomys as a distinct genus from Heteromys.
References [edit]
- ^ Morton, S.R.; D. S. Hinds and R. E. MacMillen. (1980). "Cheek pouch capacity in heteromyid rodents". Oecologia 46 (2): 143–146. doi:10.1007/BF00540118.
- ^ Fleming, Theodore (1984). In Macdonald, D. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 632–633. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
- ^ Hefner, J.C., et al. (2007). "Basal clades and molecular systematics of heteromyid rodents". Journal of Mammalogy 88 (5): 1129–1145. doi:10.1644/06-MAMM-A-413R1.1.
- Alexander, L. F. and B. R. Riddle. 2005. Phylogenetics of the New World rodent family Heteromyidae. Journal of Mammalogy, 86:366-379.
- Patton, J. L. 2005. Family Heteromyidae. pp. 844–858 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
External links [edit]
