Mountain Spiny Pocket Mouse

About the Mountain Spiny Pocket Mouse

The mountain spiny pocket mouse (Heteromys oresterus), also known as the soft-haired pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae endemic to Costa Rica. The mountain spiny pocket mouse is a dark gray rodent with a white underbelly. The ears are black with white edging. The tail is black on top and at the base with a white underside (excluding the base) and a white tip. Collected adult specimens have ranged from 30.4 — 35.3cm long and weighted between 64.0 and 98.0g.

The mountain spiny pocket mouse is distinguished from other Heteromys species by the bristles of its coat which are soft in H. oresterus but stiff and spiny in the other species. The mountain spiny pocket mouse is endemic to the Talamanca Range of Costa Rica and can be found at altitudes between 1,900 and 2,600 feet. It inhabits wet oak forests.

Little is known about the ecology or natural history of H. oresterus specifically. Heteromys pocket mice are nocturnal rodents which feed on seeds and dig burrows under rocks and foliage. Females birth litters of 3-5 pups.

The mountain spiny pocket mouse was described by William P. Harris Jr. in... Wikipedia →