The lined pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus lineatus'') 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

Heteromyidae Heteromyidae is a family of rodents consisting of kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, pocket mice and spiny pocket mice. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, though species within the ...

. This pocket mouse is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to a small area of central

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 ...

Description

The lined pocket mouse is smaller than most pocket mice in the genus ''

Chaetodipus ''Chaetodipus'' is a genus of pocket mice containing 17 species endemic to the United States and Mexico. Like other members of their family such as pocket mice in the genus '' Perognathus'', they are more closely related to pocket gophers than ...

'', averaging in total length including a tail of . It resembles Nelson's pocket mouse (''Chaetodipus nelsonii'') in size and general appearance but lacks the stiff spines that that species has among the hairs on its rump. Its coloring is also distinctive; the dorsal surface is gray faintly lined with buff giving a drab appearance, the sides are gray and the underparts are white, with a fine buff line delineating the margin between sides and belly.

Distribution and habitat

The lined pocket mouse is found only in the states of San Luis Potosi and

Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...

in central Mexico where it inhabits desert plains with

xerophile A xerophile () is an extremophilic organism that can grow and reproduce in conditions with a low availability of water, also known as water activity. Physics Water activity, a thermodynamical value denoted , is defined as the partial water vapo ...

scrub at altitudes between above sea level.

Behavior

The lined pocket mouse lives in a burrow and is nocturnal. The entrance of the burrow is usually at the base of a plant, in a crevice or in some other concealed location. When it emerges after dark, the pocket mouse moves slowly around staying under cover as much as possible. If it needs to cross an open space it moves much more rapidly. It feeds on seeds such as those of the prickly pear (''Opuntia'') which fall to the ground, but it does not eat the pulp of the cactus fruit.

Status

The lined pocket mouse has a restricted range, is relatively uncommon and its population trend is unknown. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

is unable to assess its conservation status and lists it as "

data deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q172360 Mammals described in 1951 Lined pocket mouse Endemic mammals of Mexico Mexican Plateau