Critter: Arizona pocket mouse

Pocket friend. You can hide me in your pocket if you want, 'cuz I'm the Arizona pocket mouse, or Perognathus amplus. Just don't take me out in the daylight, because I prefer to play at night.

All about tail. I may be a little guy, but I sure am proud of my tail; it's more than 3/4 the length of my head and body! My fur is very soft and silky, and sometimes I am all-black, but usually my fur is black with a hint of pale pink or white on my belly.

Livin' large. You can find me almost all over Arizona. I really like the desert, and sometimes you can find me hanging out by creosote bushes. I even like to eat creosote bush seeds.

Snack time. Speaking of food, my absolute favorite meal in the whole world is seeds. I like to dig up seeds in sand, and that's really all that I eat except for sometimes I munch on insects or green vegetation. I like to carry seeds around in my cheeks and then store them in my sandy burrow of a home.

Home sweet home. My favorite place to make a home is in small burrow openings with piles of sand, especially underneath a plant. Sometimes you can find me by following the tiny, round paw prints I leave in the sand.

Family affair. Don't mistake me for my cousins the little pocket mouse and the Apache pocket mouse. Spot me by my long tail.