Perognathus Longimembris Pacificus - General and Social Behavior

General and Social Behavior

The Pacific pocket mouse is the smallest mammal that hibernates. They hibernate during the winter season. During hibernation they feed on seed caches that are stored in their burrows. They eat the seeds of grasses and forbes and they also eat leafy material. A Pacific pocket mouse lives around seven years in captivity and about three to five years in the wild. They are found in fine-grain or sandy areas that are close to the Pacific Ocean. Their habitat consists of coastal strand, coastal dunes, and coastal sage scrub growing on marine terraces. Pacific pocket mouse is usually found around the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Pacific pocket mice normally only interact with their own species. Interactions are experience within their own habitat around the Pacific coast. When they are not interacting with one another they are escaping predators that roam their habitat. Predators such as a red fox, feral or domestic cats threatened the life of the Pacific pocket mouse. Along with trying to avoid such predators they are also in danger because of the exotic Argentine ants. These ants invade the coastal sage scrub areas, which are very near the Pacific pocket mouse’s habitat. The Pacific pocket mouse is endangered and has been on the endangered species list since 1994.