| Identification Comments: | |
| Subspecies Comments: | |
| Food Habits: | Primarily granivorous; eats Indian rice grass and a variety of forbs. Summer diet is supplemented with insects including beetles, centipedes, and moth pupae. Seeds may be stored and conserved during periods of food shortage. |
| Phenology Comments: | |
| Reproduction Comments: | Pregnant individuals recorded from 29 March to 22 September. Litter size reported to range from 2-6 with a mean of 3.9. |
| Migration Mobility: | |
| Habitat Comments: | This species is a highly specialized sand-obligate. It is typically restricted to fine, loose, sandy soils (with little or no gravel overlay) in valley bottoms dominated by saltbush and greasewood. It may also be found near sagebrush at its higher elevation range. Elevations range between 1,189 and 1,829 meters. |
| Ecology comments: | Trapping results show that pale kangaroo mouse is among the least abundant of the nocturnal desert rodents in sandy habitats of the Great Basin (Hafner et al. 2008). Hafner et al. 2008 also documented that the geographical distribution of this species has remained remarkably unchanged over the last 75 years (i.e., since Hall's work). However, there is evidence of some populations that may be extirpated near urban areas such as near Dayton, NV (G. Baumgartner, pers. comm., 2011). Despite climate change concerns, no evidence was noted for any natural, systematic distributional changes. This species may undergo periods torpor. Spring/summer torpor is brief and employed only when starving, and multi-day torpor may occur in winter (French 1989). Pale kangaroo mouse is active just after sundown and is active throughout the night. |
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