| Like other heteromyid rodents, Arizona Pocket Mice are solitary creatures. They spend the day in underground burrows, emerging only at night. In the wild, these Mice eat almost exclusively seeds of forbs or woody plants, though in captivity, they avidly consume lettuce and mealworms in addition to seeds. When the weather is cold, the Mice stay in their burrows, reducing their body temperature and metabolism, but rousing occasionally to eat cached seeds. This is not true hibernation, but a condition called torpor. It is a successful strategy to conserve energy while the temperature is too low for them to endure.
Sexual Dimorphism:
None
Length:
Average:
153 mm
Range:
135-173 mm
Weight:
Average:
11.3 g
Range:
9.2-14 g
References:
Osgood, W.H., 1900. Revision of the pocket mice of the genus Perognathus, p.32. North American Fauna, 18:1-73.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
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