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Wildlife Of Missouri
Missouri is home to a diversity of flora, fauna and funga. There is a large amount of fresh water present due to the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and Lake of the Ozarks, with numerous smaller rivers, streams, and lakes. North of the Missouri River, the state is primarily rolling hills of the Great Plains, whereas south of the Missouri River, the state is dominated by the oak-hickory Central U.S. hardwood forest. Some of the native species found in Missouri are included below. Mammals * Opossum * Nine-banded armadillo * Muskrat * Beaver * Eastern mole * Little brown bat * Big brown bat * Mexican free-tailed bat * Silver-haired bat * Least shrew * American short-tailed shrew * Southern bog lemming * Meadow vole * Woodland vole * Hispid pocket mouse * Meadow jumping mouse * Plains harvest mouse * Deer mouse * Hispid cotton rat * Eastern woodrat * Marsh rice rat * Plains pocket gopher * Fox squirrel * Southern flying squirrel * Eastern gray squirrel * Ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lower Missouri River
The Missouri River is a river in the Central and Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Montana, then flows east and south for before entering the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri. The river drains semi-arid watershed of more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 km2), which includes parts of ten U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Although a tributary of the Mississippi, the Missouri River is slightly longer and carries a comparable volume of water, though a fellow tributary (Ohio River) carries more water. When combined with the lower Mississippi River, it forms the world's fourth-longest river system. For over 12,000 years, people have depended on the Missouri River and its tributaries as a source of sustenance and transportation. More than ten major groups of Native Americans populated the watershed, with most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Brown Bat
The big brown bat (''Eptesicus fuscus'') is a species of vesper bat distributed widely throughout North America, the Caribbean, and the northern portion of South America. It was first described as a species in 1796. Compared to other microbats, the big brown bat is relatively large, weighing and possessing a wingspan of . Big brown bats are insectivore, insectivorous, consuming a diverse array of insects, particularly night-flying insects, but especially beetles. Some of the beetles it consumes are serious agricultural pests, including cucumber beetles. They are nocturnal, foraging for prey at night and roosting in sheltered areas during the day such as caves, tunnels, tree cavities, and human structures. Their breeding season is in the fall, shortly before their annual hibernation. After hibernation ends in the spring, females form maternity colony, maternity colonies for giving birth to young. Oftentimes only one offspring is produced per litter, though twins are common in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Woodrat
The eastern woodrat (''Neotoma floridana''), also known as the Florida woodrat or bush rat, is a pack rat native to the central and Eastern United States. It constructs large dens that may serve as nests for many generations and stores food in outlying caches for the winter. While widespread and not uncommon, it has declined or disappeared in several areas. Taxonomy Eight subspecies of the eastern woodrat are currently recognized: ''N. f. illinoensis'', ''N. f. floridana'' (the nominate), ''N. f. smalli'', ''N. f. baileyi'', ''N. f. pennsylvanica'', ''N. f. attwateri'', ''N. f. osagensis'', and ''N. f. rubida''. Of these, the Key Largo woodrat (''N. f. smalli'') is classified as endangered by the IUCN. The Allegheny woodrat (''Neotoma magister'') was previously considered a subspecies but was elevated to species status based on comparative mitochondrial DNA analyses. Subspecies are thought to be descended from one species living along the Appalachian Plateau, which subsequently ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hispid Cotton Rat
The hispid cotton rat (''Sigmodon hispidus'') is a rat long thought to occur in parts of South America, Central America, and southern North America. However, recent taxonomic revisions, based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data, have split this widely distributed species into three separate species (''S. hispidus'', ''S. toltecus'', and ''S. hirsutus''). The distribution of ''S. hispidus'' ranges from Arizona in the west to Virginia to the east and from the Platte River in Nebraska in the north to, likely, the Rio Grande in the south, where it meets the northern edge of the distribution of '' S. toltecus'' (formerly ''S. h. toltecus''). Adult size is total length ; tail , frequently broken or stubbed; hind foot ; ear ; mass . They have been used as laboratory animals. Taxonomy The currently accepted scientific name for the hispid cotton rat is ''Sigmodon hispidus''. It is a member of the family Cricetidae.Meikle, D. and Powers, K. (2011''Sigmodon hispidus'' hispid cotton rat Anim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deer Mouse
''Peromyscus'' is a genus of rodents. They are commonly referred to as deer mice or deermice, not to be confused with the chevrotain or "mouse deer". They are New World mice only distantly related to the common house and laboratory mouse, ''Mus musculus''. From this distant relative, ''Peromyscus'' species are distinguished by relatively larger eyes, and also often two-tone coloring, with darker colors over the dorsum (back), and white abdominal and limb hair-coloring. In reference to the coloring, the word ''Peromyscus'' comes from Greek words meaning "booted mouse". They are also accomplished jumpers and runners by comparison to house mice, and their common name of "deer mouse" (coined in 1833) is in reference to both this agility as well as their two-toned coloring. The most common species of deer mice in the continental United States are two closely related species, '' P. maniculatus'' and '' P. leucopus''. In the United States, ''Peromyscus'' is the most populous mammalia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meadow Jumping Mouse
The meadow jumping mouse (''Zapus hudsonius'') is the most widely distributed mouse in the family Zapodidae. Its range extends from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Great Plains west, and from the arctic tree lines in Canada and Alaska to the north, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, and New Mexico to the south. In mid-2014, the New Mexico subspecies of the meadow jumping mouse, ''Zapus hudsonius luteus'', was listed as an endangered species#United States, endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act.Meadow jumping mouse is not ‘resilient’ Albuquerque Journal, July 4, 2014 [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hispid Pocket Mouse
The hispid pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus hispidus'') is a large pocket mouse native to the Great Plains region of North America. It is a member of the genus ''Chaetodipus''. Distribution The hispid pocket mouse occurs across the Great Plains from southern North Dakota to central Mexico, and west from the Missouri River to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. It is not found in far-eastern portions of the states Kansas or Missouri. Description This mouse is one of the largest pocket mice. Its pelage is bristley (''hispidus'' means "bristley"), yellowish with black hairs interspersed above. It has a distinct, buffy lateral line and white underparts. Subspecies There are four recognized subspecies: *''Chaetodipus hispidus hispidus'' Baird, 1858:421. Type locality "Charco Escondido (Tamaulipas), Mexico, (24 leagues W. of Matamoros.)" *''Chaetodipus hispidus paradoxus'' Merriam, 1889:24. Type locality "Trego County, Kansas." (''latirostris'' Rhodes, ''conditi'' Allen are synonyms.) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Woodland Vole
The woodland vole (''Microtus pinetorum'') is a small vole found in eastern North America. It is also known as the pine vole. Characteristics The woodland vole has a head and body length ranging between with a short tail. Its weight ranges between . It has a brown (light or dark) dorsal region with a whitish or silvery underside. The eyes, external ears and tail are reduced to adapt to their partially subterranean lifestyle. Ecology The woodland vole lives throughout the eastern United States, ranging as far as Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They inhabit deciduous forests, dry fields, and apple orchards. Voles prefer wooded areas with high vertical vegetative stratification but also evergreen shrubs, ground cover, and old fallen logs. Deciduous forests with moist, friable soils are suitable for burrowing and voles are most abundant in these habitats. However, they can also be found in other habitats from dry fields to the edges of coastal bays.Whitaker, J. O., and Hami ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meadow Vole
The eastern meadow vole (''Microtus pennsylvanicus''), sometimes called the field mouse or meadow mouse, is a North American vole found in eastern Canada and the United States. Its range extends farther south along the Atlantic coast. The western meadow vole, Florida salt marsh vole, and beach vole were formerly considered regional variants or subspecies of ''M. pennsylvanicus'', but have all since been designated as distinct species. The eastern meadow vole is active year-round, usually at night. It also digs burrows, where it stores food for the winter and females give birth to their young. Although these animals tend to live close together, they are aggressive towards one another. This is particularly evident in males during the breeding season. They can cause damage to fruit trees, garden plants, and commercial grain crops. Taxonomy The species was formerly grouped with the western meadow vole (''M. drummondii'') and the Florida salt marsh vole (''M. dukecampbelli'') ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Bog Lemming
The southern bog lemming (''Synaptomys cooperi'') is a small North American lemming. Its range overlaps with the other species in genus ''Synaptomys'', the northern bog lemming, in southeastern Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ..., but extends farther south. Description Southern bog lemmings are covered with thick, brownish fur on their backs that ranges in color from reddish to dark brown and have a grizzled appearance. The belly is silver-gray. The shallow-grooved upper incisors and a relatively shorter tail distinguish this species from other rodents. They have relatively large heads and small eyes. The ears barely show through puffy head fur. Southern bog lemmings have four toes and one small, nailed thumb on the forefeet and five toes on the hind feet. Fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Short-tailed Shrew
The genus ''Blarina'', commonly called short-tailed shrews, is a genus of relatively large shrews with relatively short tails found in North America. Description They have 32 teeth and are in the red-toothed shrew subfamily. They generally have dark fur and thick feet. The saliva of these animals is toxic and is used to subdue prey. Species Species are: *Northern short-tailed shrew ''B. brevicauda'' *Southern short-tailed shrew ''B. carolinensis'' * Elliot's short-tailed shrew ''B. hylophaga'' * Everglades short-tailed shrew ''B. peninsulae'' * Sherman's short-tailed shrew ''B. shermani;'' possibly extinct Ecoepidemiology Short-tailed shrews are one of the animal reservoirs of the agents of Lyme disease and human babesiosis Babesiosis or piroplasmosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with a eukaryotic parasite in the order Piroplasmida, typically a ''Babesia'' or '' Theileria'', in the phylum Apicomplexa. Human babesiosis transmission via ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
