Birch mouse

Birch mice
Sicista betulina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Dipodoidea
Family: Dipodidae
Subfamily: Sicistinae
Allen, 1901
Genus: Sicista
Gray, 1827
Species

See text

Birch mice (genus Sicista) are small jumping desert rodents that resemble mice with a long tufted tail and very long hind legs, allowing for remarkable leaps. All variants possess a long tail of 65 to 110 mm (2.6 to 4.3 in) of length and weigh about 6 to 14 g (0.21 to 0.49 oz). Head and body length of 50 to 90 mm (2.0 to 3.5 in) and hind foot length of 14 to 18 mm (0.55 to 0.71 in).[1] The skin color is light brown or dark-brown to brownish yellow on the upper side and paler on the underside, but generally brownish.[1]

Species

There are 13 species listed in Mammal Species of the World (2005).[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Ronald M. Nowak (1999). Walker's mammals of the world. JHU Press. pp. 1329–. ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  2. Holden, M.E.; Musser, G.G. (2005). "Family Dipodidae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 871–893. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
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