Perognathus inornatus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	HETEROMYIDAE

Scientific Name:

Perognathus inornatus

Species Authority:

Merriam, 1889

Common Name/s:

English

–

Salinas Pocket Mouse, San Joaquin Pocket Mouse

Taxonomic Notes:

At least two and possibly three distinct species currently are included under the name inornatus (Williams et al. 1993, Patton in Wilson and Reeder 2005).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Linzey, A.V. & NatureServe (Hammerson, G.)
Reviewer/s:	Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Chanson, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Least Concern because it is widespread, and its populations are believed to be secure at present throughout most of its range, although it has declined in the northern part of the range as a result of habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is found in west-central California in the United States, in the Upper Sacramento Valley, Tehama County, southward through the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys and contiguous areas to the Mojave Desert in Los Angeles, Kern, and extreme western San Bernardino counties; also the Tehachapi Mountains and foothills of the western Sierra Nevada below about 600 m asl (Williams et al., 1993; Best 1993).
Countries:	Native: United States (California)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is apparently secure within its range (NatureServe). In Madera County, density was 0.4/ha. In Fresno County, density was 7.3/ha and 5.0/ha on ungrazed sites; home range size is up to a few hundred square metres. The three subspecies are known from roughly 50 locations (Caitlin Bean, unpublished map, 2004) that represent probably no more than three dozen distinct occurrences, and not all of these are extant.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

It is apparently secure within its range (NatureServe). In Madera County, density was 0.4/ha. In Fresno County, density was 7.3/ha and 5.0/ha on ungrazed sites; home range size is up to a few hundred square metres.

The three subspecies are known from roughly 50 locations (Caitlin Bean, unpublished map, 2004) that represent probably no more than three dozen distinct occurrences, and not all of these are extant.

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species inhabits dry, open, grassy or weedy ground, and arid annual grasslands, savanna, and desert-shrub associations with sandy washes or finely textured soil. It is found in low densities in grassland-blue oak savannas up to 1,500 ft on the east side of San Joaquin Valley. It occurs in alkali sink associations on the floor of the Tulare Basin and in Atriplex and Ephedra associations in the northwestern portion of the Tulare Basin. In Lake County, it occurs on rocky south-facing slope in chamise and buck brush chararral at elevation of 420 m asl (see Best, 1993). On the Carrizo Plain, it occurs in areas with Erodium, Amsinckia, Astragalus, and Bromus. Young are born in underground burrows. Burrows often are at the bases of shrubs. Breeding occurs March-July. Females produces two or more litters of usually four to six per year (Best, 1993). Feeds on seeds of annual and perennial grasses, forbs, and shrubs (Best, 1993) This pocket mouse carries seeds in external cheek pouches to underground storage chambers. Also sometimes eats soft-bodied insects (Best, 1993). Often torpid in colder months.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species inhabits dry, open, grassy or weedy ground, and arid annual grasslands, savanna, and desert-shrub associations with sandy washes or finely textured soil. It is found in low densities in grassland-blue oak savannas up to 1,500 ft on the east side of San Joaquin Valley. It occurs in alkali sink associations on the floor of the Tulare Basin and in Atriplex and Ephedra associations in the northwestern portion of the Tulare Basin. In Lake County, it occurs on rocky south-facing slope in chamise and buck brush chararral at elevation of 420 m asl (see Best, 1993). On the Carrizo Plain, it occurs in areas with Erodium, Amsinckia, Astragalus, and Bromus.

Young are born in underground burrows. Burrows often are at the bases of shrubs. Breeding occurs March-July. Females produces two or more litters of usually four to six per year (Best, 1993). Feeds on seeds of annual and perennial grasses, forbs, and shrubs (Best, 1993) This pocket mouse carries seeds in external cheek pouches to underground storage chambers. Also sometimes eats soft-bodied insects (Best, 1993). Often torpid in colder months.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Agricultural development is a threat to the species in particular in the northern part of its range. More than 90% of the original habitat has been destroyed as a result of agricultural development (NatureServe).

Major Threat(s):

Agricultural development is a threat to the species in particular in the northern part of its range. More than 90% of the original habitat has been destroyed as a result of agricultural development (NatureServe).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	All three subspecies are of conservation concern: P. i. inornatus and P. i. psammophilus. Also, P. i. neglectus was assessed as "Near Threatened" in a previous Red List evaluation (Hafner et al., 1998). It is not known whether or not it occurs in any protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

All three subspecies are of conservation concern: P. i. inornatus and P. i. psammophilus. Also, P. i. neglectus was assessed as "Near Threatened" in a previous Red List evaluation (Hafner et al., 1998). It is not known whether or not it occurs in any protected areas.

Citation:	Linzey, A.V. & NatureServe (Hammerson, G.) 2008. Perognathus inornatus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.
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