Perognathinae
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Perognathinae is a subfamily of rodents consisting of two genera of pocket mice. Most species live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined cheek pouches to their burrows.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Heteromyidae
- Image
- Spiny Pocket Mouse.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- taxon name
- Perognathinae
- taxon rank
- subfamily
- described by source
- Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~6 min read
Encyclopedic overview
7 sectionsContents
- Description
- Distribution
- Behaviour
- Ecology
- Taxonomy
- References
- Further reading
Perognathinae is a subfamily of rodents consisting of two genera of pocket mice. Most species live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined cheek pouches to their burrows.
==Description== There are about 26 members of the subfamily Perognathinae divided into two genera. They are all small rodents. Adaptations include partially fused vertebrae in the neck, short forelimbs, and much enlarged bullae (bubble-shaped bones in the skull). The dental formula is 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3 making twenty teeth in total. The molars have two-lobed cusps. The upper incisors are grooved and the enamel on the molars is quickly worn away by chewing leaving the dentine exposed. The cheek teeth have roots.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Perognathinae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.