Grasshopper mouse

Grasshopper mice Temporal range: Early Pliocene - Recent
A grasshopper mouse eating a beetle
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Superfamily:	Muroidea
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Neotominae
Genus:	Onychomys Baird, 1857
species
Onychomys arenicola Onychomys leucogaster Onychomys torridus

The genus Onychomys contains species commonly referred to as grasshopper mice.

Biology

The three species in this genus of New World mice are only distantly related to the common house mouse, Mus musculus. They are endemic to the United States and Mexico. The southern grasshopper mouse has around a 3.5 to 5.0 inch long body and a tail that is generally 1.0 to 2.5 inches long. Its behavior is rather distinct from other mice.

It is a carnivorous rodent, dining on insects (such as grasshoppers), worms, scorpions, snakes, and even other mice. It also stalks its prey in the manner of a cat, sneaking up quietly, and defends its territory by "howling" like a small wolf. The grasshopper mouse is known to be immune to various venoms released by its prey (scorpions, snakes, etc.).

Grasshopper mice tend to have low population densities. They are either alone or in pairs, one male with one female. Very territorial, their average territory size may equal their home range size of about 28 acres.

Their aggressive nature extends beyond their hunting habits, and when held in captivity with other mice, they will often kill and eat those other mice.

Species

• Mearns' grasshopper mouse or Chihuahuan grasshopper mouse Onychomys arenicola
• Northern grasshopper mouse, Onychomys leucogaster
• Southern grasshopper mouse, Onychomys torridus

References

• The Mammals of Texas: Mearns' grasshopper mouse
• The Mammals of Texas: Northern grasshopper mouse
• University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web: Genus Onychomys