PEROGNATHUS SPINATUS
Spiny pocket mouse
  Classification Order Rodentia, Family Heteromyidae.

Description The coat, which has many spiny hairs on the back, is pale yellow mixed with brown. The tail has longer hair on top. The head is pointed and the ears are small. At the sides of the mouth there are cheek pouches. This species has 20 teeth and the toes are all clawed. Length of head and body 7.5-9 cm (3-3.6 in), tail 8-1 2 cm (3.2-4.8 in); weight about 20 g (0.7 oz).
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  Distribution California and Baja California in Mexico.

Habitat Desert; rocky slopes.

Behaviour Like the other members of the genus Perognathus (pocket mice), this species is typically nocturnal. During the day it remains inside a burrow it has dug in the ground; by night it emerges to teed on seeds. The cheek pouches are used for carrying food into special larders dug below ground. After a probable 3-4-week gestation, 2-6 young are born; they nurse for a few weeks. There is usually only 1 litter per year, but oc-casionally 2.

Note This genus has 25 species and numerous subspecies distributed from British Columbia to Mexico.