Perognathus mollipilosus (Southern Great Basin Pocket Mouse)
Credit: Mark Chappell
about the species
Perognathus mollipilosus, the Southern Great Basin Pocket Mouse, is distributed across much of the Great Basin, and into eastern California. It is sister to P. parvus. P. mollipilosus is found in desert scrub and woodland habitats. In California, it is found only on the eastern and northeastern edges, from the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada (new Kelso Valley and Walker), along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, into the Modoc Plateau, and west to the Shasta Valley.
why species was selected
This species, with its very large distribution outside of California, is contrasted with the other two Perognathus in the study from California that are somewhat rare. The populations of P. mollipilosus in California are at the extreme west of their range and thus may shed light on diversity at the edges of species' ranges.
