Investigator

Ragweed

Section 3: p. 40-62

Your job is to investigate some of the mouse types mentioned on P. 51. Are the types mentioned in the book based on fact or fiction? For the types that are fact-based, provide some brief research information that you found. Also, if at all possible, include a drawing or picture of the mouse.

Some websites to get you started are:

www.alienexplorer.com/ecology/m134.html -- Alien Earth

http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/ochrnutt.htm -- The Mammals of Texas

http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/onycaren.htm -- The Mammals of Texas

All of the mice mentioned on p. 51 of this book are factual. Upon looking at the websites provided, I found that the Golden Mouse, Grasshopper Mouse, and Meadow Jumping Mouse are three factual types of mice that live in North America.

The Golden Mouse, which is the type of mouse that Clutch is, is a medium-sized, golden-colored, white-footed mouse with soft thick hair. These mice average 176 mm, with 78 mm consisting of their tail, and they weigh 15-25 g. The golden mouse lives in forested areas, and they reside in communal nests. These mice depend on invertebrates for 50% of their diet. The rest of their diet depends on seeds and plants.

The Grasshopper Mouse is a small fat-tailed mouse with pinkish-cinnamon or grayish-buff upperparts. Their tails are sparsely haired and comprise 30% of their total body length. These mice reside in dry, desert areas where vegetation is sparse. Also, this is a very rare mouse.

The Meadow Jumping Mouse is found in heavily vegetated areas in Colorado and Wyoming. The upper parts of their body are black with pale yellow hairs showing through. Their sides are pale yellow with a scattering of black hairs. The meadow jumping mouse’s unique colors make it difficult to see in open fields or near vegetation. The most interesting fact about these mice is that they make 2-3 meter long jumps to escape predators. Also these mice can run at 2 meters/second.