Geographic Range
The range of Mexican volcano mice is restricted to the Nearctic Region in high elevation
pine-oak forests along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. They can be found as far West
as the Mexican state of Colima, to the state of Pico de Orizaba in the East. In this
region, Mexican volcano mice are found at elevations ranging from 2,590 to 4,267 m.
Habitat
Mexican volcano mice are terrestrial, living at elevations between 2,590 to 4,267
m throughout the Transverse Neovolcanic Ridge located in central Mexico. They live
in subtropical oak-pine forests throughout their range, in areas with an abundance
of Sacaton grass as ground cover.
- Habitat Regions
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- forest
Physical Description
There is no sexual dimorphism in Mexican volcano mice. Recorded masses range from
43 to 61 g in adult males and females. Pregnant females have recorded masses from
57.7 grams to 65.8 g. Recorded lengths range from 176 to 233 mm from their snouts
to the tips of their tails. Their bodies are 100 to 130 mm, while their tails measure
70 to 105 mm. Their fur color ranges from gray to reddish brown on their backs to
whitish on their undersides. Mexican volcano mice are most closely related to deer
mice (
Peromyscus maniculatus
). However, they differ in several skull characteristics. The average zygomatic branch
breadth of Mexican volcano mice has been recorded as 15.3 mm, compared to that of
deer mice, which have an average zygomatic branch breadth of 12.9 to 13.33 mm. Mexican
volcano mice also have slightly longer maxillary tooth rows, averaging 5.1 mm long,
compared to deer mice, whose molar tooth rows measure between 4.2 to 4.41 mm.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
Reproduction
It is believed that testosterone levels in male Mexican volcano mice result in a high
level of parental care in laboratory conditions. It has been observed that these males
provide their pups similar levels of care compared to females. This bi-parental care
suggests a monogamous mating system. Both male and female parents display behaviors
such as huddling, grooming, and retrieving young, as well as maintaining and protecting
their nests.
- Mating System
- monogamous
The breeding season of Mexican volcano mice spans from early June to September, peaking
in the dry spring months of April and May. They produce two or more litters averaging
at 3.4 altricial young per year, with an average gestation period of 27 days. Young
may mature sexually and bear young of their own during the same season in which they
themselves are born. They reach sexual maturity around 90 to 174 days. Weaning does
not occur until at least 30 days postpartum, and young open their eyes at 18 to 20
days.
- Key Reproductive Features
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
The only recorded parental behavior in
N. alstoni
has been in laboratory conditions, where it is observed that both males and females
care extensively for the young for up to 36 days after birth. Huddling, grooming,
sniffing, and nest maintenance are behaviors performed by both parents. However, males
spent more time, on average, performing these behaviors.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
- male parental care
- female parental care
-
pre-hatching/birth
- protecting
-
pre-weaning/fledging
- provisioning
-
pre-independence
- provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
The exact lifespan of Mexican volcano mice is not currently known, however laboratory
observations suggest that they can live up to 5 years.
Behavior
When observed in the wild, Mexican volcano mice display nocturnal behavior and are
are active almost entirely at night. Their complex social structures are not fully
understood, but males have been observed to show subordination to their mates. They
invest more parental care into their young, and spend more time performing parental
behaviors after birth than females. They create shallow, simple burrows on well drained
areas. These burrows average 50 mm in diameter. It is believed that Mexican volcano
mice also utilize burrows constructed by other mammals, such as southern pocket gophers
(
Thomomys umbrinus
).
Home Range
Little is known about the home ranges of Mexican volcano mice.
Communication and Perception
Little has been recorded with regards to the communication and social system of Mexican
volcano mice. However, it has been observed that males show subordination to their
female partners during the breeding season, and will lay down and turn over on their
backs when females takes on an aggressive stance. Females then climb on top of their
mates and sniff their genital area.
- Communication Channels
- tactile
Food Habits
Mexican volcano mice have an omnivorous diet, consisting of various grains and insects.
In captivity, they have been known to thrive on a diet of Purina rat chow.
- Primary Diet
- omnivore
- Animal Foods
- insects
- Plant Foods
- seeds, grains, and nuts
Predation
Mexican volcano mice create burrows underground, where they spend time nesting and
giving protection from predators.
Ecosystem Roles
N. alstoni
cohabit much of their range with other small mammals, however not much is known about
the impacts they have on their given ecosystem, but they have been observed consuming
monarch butterflies in their habitat during overwintering aggregations. While not
much is known about their role as prey, one can speculate that the Great Horned Owl
(
Bubo virginianus
), which is also found in this region, is a possible predator of
N. alstoni
due to its known diet of other species in the order rodentia.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Given their low concern status, high abundance, and ability to thrive in captivity,
Mexican volcano mice have shown to be exceptional candidates for laboratory research
and experiments. They can also serve as house pets for these reasons.
- Positive Impacts
- pet trade
- research and education
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known negative economic effects of Mexican volcano mice on humans.
Conservation Status
Mexican volcano mice are listed as “least concern” on the IUCN Red list. No range
shifts for this species have been identified, but Mexican volcano mice are only found
in the oak-pine forests in this region, so climate change and deforestation are threats
to their habitat.
Additional Links
Contributors
Isabel Netelenbos (author), University of Washington, Laura Prugh (editor), University of Washington, Galen Burrell (editor), Special Projects.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- monogamous
-
Having one mate at a time.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- male parental care
-
parental care is carried out by males
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- fossorial
-
Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- pet trade
-
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
- omnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
References
Ayala-Guerrero, F., J. Ramos, L. Vargras-Reyna, G. Mexicano. 1998. Sleep Patterns of the Volcano Mouse Neotomodon alstoni alstoni. Physiology and Behavior. US National Library of Medicine , 64: 577-580. Accessed June 07, 2019 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9761235 .
Davis, W., L. Follansbee. 1945. The Mexican Volcano Mouse Neotomodon. Journal of Mammalogy , 26: 401-411. Accessed June 07, 2019 at https://www.jstor.org/stable/1375160?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents .
Glendinning, J., L. Brower. 1990. Feeding and Breeding Responses of Five Mice Species to Overwintering Aggregations of the Monarch Butterfly. Journal of Animal Ecology , 59: 1091-1112. Accessed June 07, 2019 at https://www.jstor.org/stable/5034?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents .
Llnas-Gutierrez, J., G. Arnuad, M. Acevedo. 1991. Food Habits of the Great Horned Owl (Bubo Virginianus) In the Cape Region of Lower California and Mexico. Journal of Raptor Research , 25: 140-141. Accessed June 07, 2019 at https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/jrr/v025n04/p00140-p00141.pdf .
Luis, J., A. Carmona, J. Delgado, F. Cervantes, R. Cardenas. 2000. Parental Behavior of the Volcano Mouse, Neotomodon alstoni, in Captivity. Journal of Mammalogy , 81: 600-605. Accessed June 07, 2019 at https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/81/2/600/2373102 .
Miranda-Anaya, M., M. Perez-Mendoza, C. Juarez-Tapia, A. Carmona-Castro. 2018. TheVolcano Mouse Neotomodon alstoni of Central Mexico, a Biological Model in the Study of Breeding, Obesity and Circadian Rhythms. General and Comparative Endocrinology. US National Library of Medicine , 273: 61-66. Accessed June 07, 2019 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29702105 .