Entrance holes may be circular, semicircular, or even crescent shaped. Similar to other rodents, this species may mark dust baths with its scent as a way to claim territory.īaja pocket mouse burrows are usually found near shrubs with multiple entrance holes. They are mostly solitary, with the exception of during mating season. There are no identified social systems in Baja pocket mice. Lifespans in the wild have not yet been established. However, it can be inferred that females take care of the young by supplying food and a nest.īaja pocket mice can live up to 3 years in captivity. Very little is known about the parental investment of Baja pocket mice. Breeding season Mating occurs from spring to late summer.Breeding interval Baja pocket mice breed twice a year.gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate).These newborns reach sexual maturity at approximately 6 months old and young born in the spring may be able to reproduce during the second pulse (late summer). The average litter size of Baja pocket mice is 2 to 5 offspring. These periods of reproductive activity follow seasonal rainfalls and increased vegetation growth. When breeding occurs in two pulses, the first one is in the spring and the second one is in late summer. Two periods of reproductive activity are possible, depending on food availability. Very little is known about how Baja pocket mice find and attract mates.īaja pocket mice once or twice a year. The dental formula for Baja pocket mice is 1 1/1, C 0/0, PM 1/1, M 3/3 making 20 teeth in total.īaja pocket mice are indistinguishable in appearance to Bailey’s pocket mice ( Chaetodipus baileyi). Like closely-related species, Baja pocket mice have fur-lined external cheek pouches that open alongside their mouths, which they use to store food. Baja pocket mice are sexually dimorphic, with males often being larger than females (there is little information on the extent of size difference between sexes). Baja pocket mice have wispy dark hairs that protrude from around their rumps. Their underparts are white, including their feet. Baja pocket mice have light, grayish-brown fur mixed with yellow on their backs and no lateral lines. The feet are relatively long and range from 26 to 30 mm long. Their ears are large and range from 8 to 11 mm long. Head to body lengths range from 86 to 107 mm and tail lengths range from 109 to 125 mm. Their tails are darker on the top and lighter on the bottom, and are longer than the combined length of their heads and bodies. Range elevation 270 to 720 m 885.83 to 2362.20 ftīaja pocket mice are one of the largest species in their genus.The burrows consist of a network of tunnels and chambers for sleeping and food storage. They make these underground nests of dried grasses and other plants. Burrows also offer protection from wind, rain, and predators as well as a space for Baja pocket mice to rear young. Unlike other pocket mice, Baja pocket mice can live on stony gravelly soils as well as disturbed and over-grazed areas.īaja pocket mice build complex burrows under rocks or shrubs, where daily temperatures are more stable and humidity is higher compared to the surface. Within these areas, Baja pocket mice prefer a widespread distribution in coarse soil, gravel, and small rocks near bushes and cacti. The elevational range at which this species lives is 270 to 720 m. A subspecies, Monserrate Island pocket mouse Chaetodipus rudinoris fornicatus lives on Montserrat Island in the Gulf of California, dwelling in xeric scrubland. Baja pocket mice inhabit shrublands in arid areas on the plains of the Baja California peninsula, but rocky hillsides of the Sierra de San Pedro Martir. Depending on geographic location, Baja pocket mice prefer slightly different habitats. They are mostly found in flat terrain of deserts but can also be found within washes or rocky hillsides. ( Riddle, et al., 2000 Stapp and Polis, 2003 Tremor, 2017)īaja pocket mice are nocturnal and terrestrial. All populations east of the Colorado river and Sea of Cortez were retained as Bailey’s pocket mice all populations to the west were separately defined as Baja pocket mice. (2000) used mtDNA data to examine phylogenetic relationships within Bailey’s pocket mice ( Chaetodipus baileyi) and has split the species at the Colorado river and Sea of Cortez. The Baja pocket mouse can also be found on several islands in the Gulf of California. Baja pocket mice ( Chaetodipus rudinoris ) are found west of the Colorado river, in southwestern California and south through the tip of Baja California, Mexico.
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