Species MammalsSouthern Grasshopper Mouse

Southern Grasshopper Mouse

Onychomys torridus

UncommonMammal
Illustration of Southern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys torridus)

The Southern Grasshopper Mouse is a fierce, carnivorous desert rodent that actively hunts scorpions, beetles, and other rodents in the shrub deserts of the southwestern United States. It has evolved an immunity to the venom of the Arizona bark scorpion, and research on its pain-receptor modifications has opened new avenues in pain-management medicine. Like its northern cousin, it raises its head and howls to advertise its territory.

Habitat
Desert shrublands, sandy washes, and semi-arid grasslands
Diet
Scorpions, beetles, other rodents, and seeds
How common
Uncommon

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