The fulvous harvest mouse (''Reithrodontomys fulvescens'') is a species of
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...
in the family
Cricetidae
The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At over 870 species, it is either the largest or second-largest family ...
.
It is found in
El Salvador
El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
,
Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
,
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
, and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
[
]
Description
About 17 subspecies of ''R. fulvescens'' are recognised and they vary in both colouring and size. Their total length ranges from about with a tail between . Their yellowish-buff or tawny fur is relatively coarse and has a streaked or speckled effect caused by the mixture of black guard hairs and the paler, banded hairs of the undercoat. Often, a dark stripe runs along the spine. The underparts are grayish-white, sometimes tinged with buff. This mouse can be distinguished from the rather larger hairy harvest mouse (''Reithrodontomys hirsutus'') by its pelage
A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...
and skull characteristics, the pale underside of the tail and the whitish or buff color of the hind feet.karyotype
A karyotype is the general appearance of the complete set of chromosomes in the cells of a species or in an individual organism, mainly including their sizes, numbers, and shapes. Karyotyping is the process by which a karyotype is discerned by de ...
has 2n = 50.
Distribution and habitat
The fulvous harvest mouse has a widespread distribution with a range extending from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador northwards through Mexico to the southwestern United States, where it is present in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Its typical habitat is grassy areas containing some shrubs, especially in areas with mesquite
Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...
or pine/grass ecozones.[
]
Biology
The fulvous harvest mouse is nocturnal
Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatur ...
. In Arkansas, animals began to deposit fat in their tissues in November and this peaks in January and then the fat reserves are steadily used up by April. Other adaptations to winter include a lengthening of the animal's hair and a possible daily reduction of its body temperature during sleep in the daytime.[ The animal quickly recovers from ]hypothermia
Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe ...
and resumes activity when it warms up.[ A nest is built in vegetation just off the ground and consists of a ball of grasses and sedges about in diameter. It is usually occupied by a pair of mice which may be a pair-bonded male and female. When the mice are inside, the entrance, or pair of entrances, is plugged. When the animals move about outside, much of their time is spent off the ground in low vegetation.][
The diet of the fulvous harvest mouse varies seasonally, but in milder climates, consists primarily of insects and other invertebrates throughout the year, whereas in colder regions, invertebrates predominate in the spring, and seeds in the fall and winter. A small proportion of green leafy and other plant food is also eaten. ]Predators
Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...
of this mouse include barn owl
The barn owls, owls in the genus '' Tyto'', are the most widely distributed genus of owls in the world. They are medium-sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. The ter ...
s (''Tyto alba'') and red-tailed hawk
The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members of ...
s (''Buteo jamaicensis'').[
In Mexico, breeding seems to take place throughout the year,][ but in Texas, usually two breeding peaks occur, one in late spring and the second a few months later. The litter size is usually two to four offspring, but may be more. The young are blind, naked, and helpless at birth, their eyes open between the ninth and 12th days and weaning takes place between the 13th and 16th. Life expectancy is up to 15 months for males and up to 12 months for females.][
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1765861
Reithrodontomys
Mammals described in 1894
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot