When we can, we will connect with actual in-the-classroom teachers to get their thoughts.
#POCKET MOUSE SELECTION QUIZ FREE#
Qualifications for consideration are that the resource must: 1) be free 2) have something to do with evolution, climate change, or the nature of science and 3) be terrific.
#POCKET MOUSE SELECTION QUIZ SERIES#
One of the ideas we came up with was a new blog series in which we will review a classroom resource and put on our teacher hats to discuss how it could be used. No details yet, but watch this space-things are going to get awesomer (yep, that’s a word-or it is now). In addition to basking in the 70° sunshine, the trip was fabulous because it yielded some new ideas and exciting discussions. There is no sure number for the life expectancy of the Arizona Pocket Mouse in the wild but in captivity they have been known to live 10 years! This is untypically long for other species of pocket mice.I made my second trip out to NCSE HQ a couple of weeks ago. The size of the litter varies and can range from 1-7 baby mice. Gestation or pregnancy lasts for 3-4 weeks after which a litter of usually 3-5 offspring is born. The smell is said to smell like “stale move-theatre popcorn”. They then give off a chemical signal in the form of the smell to arouse the females from sleep and encourage them to come out. This season for them occurs in late February and early March during which time the male mice emerge from their winter slumber. The pocket mouse only breeds once a year. It also has big, pink feet which help it scurry along the desert soil. It has small but very pronounced ears that allow it to hear some noises but it does not have exceptional hearing and the eyes are big, black and bead-like. The soft fur looks coarse but is a very smooth and sheen and varies from shades of gray, brown, yellow/orange and white. Some other species have long hair at the end which forms a sort of bushy tip but not the Arizona Pocket Mouse. At the end of the tail, the hair gets longer but not as long as that of other desert rodents. The long tail is a distinguishing factor and helps distinguish the Arizona Pocket Mouse from other desert rodents.
Its small body ranges from 61-85 mm with a tail that’s usually longer than the body. True to its name, the Arizona Pocket Mouse is pocket size.
They have also been observed eating some bugs in more extreme circumstances and in captivity. These pouches allow the mouse to store large amounts of seeds in their cheeks as they gather.
One of the reasons for its name is the pocket-like pouches in each of their cheeks. The seeds they gather are usually those found underneath bushes and scrub so they can stay hidden while gathering. They are most known for eating bits of the creosote bush and foraging seeds. The vegetation offers hiding places in case a predator appears and the soil is conducive to a stable burrow.Īrizona Pocket Mice are mostly granivorous which means they only eat seeds and plants. Usually they dig their burrows on flat terrain where there is plenty of desert scrub vegetation and solid, soft-textured soils. It is characteristic for the mouse to dig the burrow at the base of a plant and then block the entrance with plant particles, dirt, or anything else they can find as a means of camouflage. Deep underground, mice raise their young and store foraged seeds. Down in their burrows, mice are safe from predators and avoid the harsh climates in winter and summer months. Just like many other desert rodents, the Arizona Pocket Mouse lives in a burrow or a small hole dug deep into the ground.
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