Their habitat is endangered due to pollution and the gradual decline of safety in their normal environment. It has been estimated that there are only about 300 Pocket Mice living, with the majority of these found in California. The mice live about 3 to 5 years, depending upon the balance of available food and predator activity. Births normally take place from April through July. The mother, who can be fertile for 40 days, will usually give birth to one litter a year, with an average of three to seven babies per litter. When a baby Pocket Mouse is born, it will generally be about one inch long, and will weigh about an ounce. They store their extra food in fur-lined external cheek pouches. These tiny mice mostly eat seeds, some insects, grass, and leaves, though they are so small that they cannot maintain their energy unless they eat constantly while they are active. They live in the ground, and burrow deeper into the soil to escape extremes of heat or cold. The tiny, four to six-inch-long mice are light brown in color, distinguished by lighter color patches at the base of their ears. In fact, Pacific Pocket Mice are actually one of the most endangered species in the entire North American continent, and fascinating because they are also one of the smallest rodent species in the world. But, unlike common house mice, there are a growing number of very rare mice that have been added to the Endangered Species List. House mice infest foodstuffs, carry disease, and multiply like weeds when they have a comfortable house to live in.
Pacific pocket mouse free#
Home rodent control companies make thousands of dollars annually simply keeping homes free of mice. But, mice are normally just considered pests. Environmentalist groups struggle for donations to help stem the tide of growing numbers of species being added to the list. Who would have thought that a mouse would be on the Endangered Species List? Whales, big cats, and bears often reach the public eye through donation campaigns.
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