Hooper's mouse (''Peromyscus hooperi'') is a species of
rodent in the family
Cricetidae. It is the only member of the ''Peromyscus hooperi''
species group, and is found only in
Mexico. The species is named for
Emmett Hooper, a researcher into the
taxonomy of the genus ''Peromyscus''.
[
]
Description
Hooper's mouse is a medium-sized deer mouse, with a total length of , including the tail. Adults have an average weight of . The mouse is greyish in color, with a faint brownish tint, and has cream-colored underparts fading to white on the lower limbs. The tail is also darker above than below, but has only short hair. Females have six teats.
Distribution and habitat
Hooper's mouse is endemic to Mexico, where it is found only in Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
and in neighboring regions of San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
and Zacatecas. It lives in high altitude grasslands, between about above sea level, above the scrublands of the Chihuahuan Desert, but below the montane chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
habitats of the higher mountains. In addition to grass, this region is dominated by plants such as '' Dasylirion'' and '' Yucca''.
Biology
Females give birth to litters with an average of three young after a 33-day gestation. The young are born blind, hairless, and helpless. They begin to move after about five days, and open their eyes at thirteen days. Females undergo their first estrus at around 69 days.[
The relationships between Hooper's mouse and other species of deer mouse are unclear. The shape of their teeth and of some of their scent glands resemble those of the ''eremicus'' species group, while the shape of the ]baculum
The baculum (also penis bone, penile bone, or ''os penis'', ''os genitale'' or ''os priapi'') is a bone found in the penis of many placental mammals. It is absent from the human penis, but present in the penises of some primates, such as the ...
and the position of the teats instead resemble those of the ''leucopus'' group.[ it is now usually considered the only member of its own species group, and may represent an evolutionary link between the other two species groups.]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1761004
Peromyscus
Mammals described in 1977
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot