Panamanian Spiny Pocket Mouse - Behaviour and Biology

Behaviour and Biology

Panamanian spiny pocket mice are nocturnal, and feed mainly on the nuts of palm trees such as Bactris and Attalea, although they also eat other plant material and some insects. They spend the day sleeping in burrows, which have multiple entrances and are also used to store seeds. They locate their food primarily by scent, and are able to carry seeds in their cheek pouches. They are solitary, inhabiting home ranges averaging just 0.56 hectares (1.4 acres). Although aggressive when kept together in captivity, in the wild they may reach population densities of up to 11 per hectare (4.5 per acre), with significant overlap between home ranges.

Breeding takes place between December and May, in the dry and early wet seasons. Females give birth to one or two litters of two to four pups each year. Few individuals survive for more than a year in the wild, although a maximum lifespan of eighteen months has been recorded.