Perognathinae

Not to be confused with rodents of the heteromyid subfamily Heteromyinae, which are commonly referred to as 'spiny pocket mice' (in addition to Chaetodipus spinatus of Perognathinae).

Pocket mice
Temporal range: Early Miocene–Recent [1]
Silky pocket mouse (Perognathus flavus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Heteromyidae
Subfamily: Perognathinae
Coues, 1875
Genera

Chaetodipus
Perognathus

Perognathinae is a subfamily of rodents consisting of two genera of pocket mice. Most species live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined cheek pouches[2] to their burrows.[3]

  1. ^ "Perognathinae in the Paleobiology Database". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  2. ^ Morton, S.R.; D. S. Hinds; R. E. MacMillen (1980). "Cheek pouch capacity in heteromyid rodents". Oecologia. 46 (2): 143–146. doi:10.1007/BF00540118. PMID 28309665. S2CID 20685098.
  3. ^ Fleming, Theodore (1984). Macdonald, D. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 632–633. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.