Chaetodipus californicus
California Pocket Mouse
(Chaetodipus californicus) | |
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Range | |
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Taxonomic classification | |
Order: | Rodentia |
Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
Infraorder: | Castorimorphi |
Family: | Heteromyidae |
Subfamily: | Perognathinae |
Genus: | Chaetodipus |
Binomial details | |
Chaetodipus californicus (Merriam, 1889) |
Description
From Patton & Alvarez-Castañeda (1999): "This is among the largest species in the genus, along with C. baileyi and C. hispidus. It is characterized by a relatively long, strongly crested and pencillate tail; numerous stiff spines on the rump, sometimes extending to the sides; relatively long and square-tipped ear pinna; and relatively small mastoid bullae with a broad interparietal. The ratio of the length of the tail to head and body ranges from about 1.15 to 1.55; the ear is more than 10 mm in length (from the notch); and the width of the interparietal is usually greater that 8.1 mm. This species is typically dark, grizzled, reddish-brown, with a sharply evident buff-colored lateral line separating the dorsal pelage from the self-color white venter."
From Jameson & Peeters (2004): "A rather large pocket mouse with a mixture of yellow and black hairs dorsally and strong, spiny hairs on its sides and rump. The heel of the hind foot is naked. The ears are unusually long (9-14 mm)."
External measurements
Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.
Part of range | Reference | Total length | Tail length | Hindfoot length | Ear length | Mass |
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California | Jameson & Peeters (2004) | 190–235 | 103–143 | 24–29 | 16–21 | |
not reported | Ceballos (editor, 2014) | 190–235 | 103–143 | 24–29 | 9–14 | 16–21 |
Skull
From Jameson & Peeters (2004): "The auditory bullae are separated anteriorly. The interparietal bone is nearly twice as wide as it is long."
Similar species
The presence of pronounced rump spines distinguishes Chaetodipus californicus from the Desert Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus), Peninsular Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus rudinoris), and pocket mice in the genus Perognathus in the US. The presence of a well-marked lateral line distinguishes Chaetodipus californicus from the Spiny Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus spinatus).
From Patton and Alvarez-Castañeda (1999) for comparison of C. californicus with the San Diego Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus fallax) in California: C. fallax in California "really only needs comparison with C. californicus, with which it might be locally sympatric.... californicus is distinctly larger in size, with longer and obviously more square-topped as opposed to rounded ears."
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Species | Size | Pelage appearance | Postauricular patch | Subaruicular spot | Antitragus | Tail bicolored | Tail crest | Tail tuft | Rump spines | Lateral lines | Lateral line color |
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Chaetodipus californicus | medium to large | coarse | absent | absent | lobed | distinctly | present | present | present (and on flanks) | present | orangish-yellow |
Chaetodipus formosus | medium | smooth | absent | present | lobed | distinctly or indistinctly | present | present | absent | absent | - |
Chaetodipus penicillatus | medium | smooth to coarse | present; faint | absent | lobed | distinctly | present | present | absent | faint or absent | buff |
Chaetodipus rudinoris | large | smooth | absent | when present, it is small | lobed | indistinctly | present | present | absent | present | ochraceous |
Chaetodipus spinatus | medium to medium-large | coarse | absent | preset | lobed | distinctly | present | present | present | faint or absent | buff |
Perognathus alticola | medium | smooth | present; faint | present; small | lobed | distinctly | present | absent | absent | faint | |
Perognathus inornatus | small | smooth | indistinct, buffy | absent | absent | indistinctly | absent | absent | absent | present | pale yellowish |
Perognathus longimembris | small | smooth | present; faint | when present, it is faint | absent | distinctly or indistinctly | absent | present | absent | absent or faint |
References
Ceballos G, editor. 2014. Mammals of Mexico. Baltimore (MD, USA): Johns Hopkins University Press.
Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Merriam CH. 1889. Revision of the North American pocket mice. North American Fauna 1:1-29.
Patton JL, Alvarez-Castañeda ST, editors. 1999. Family Heteromyidae. Mamiferos del noroeste de México. La Paz (Baja California Sur, MX): Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste.