MAMMALS OF UTAH 89 



Distribution — Central Nevada, north to southern Ore- 

 gon and northern Utah. The Utah specimens are from 

 Kelton at the north end of Great Salt Lake. 



GREAT BASIN POCKET MOUSE 



PEROGNATHUS PARVUS OLIVACEUS (Merriam) 



Perogi^athus olivaceus Merriam, N. A. F. No. 1, 15, 1889; 



ibid, No. 5, 71, 1891; Elliot, Field Columbian Mus. Zool. 



Ser. No. 10, 211, 1898. 

 Perognathus olivaceus amoenus Merriam, N. A. F. No. 1, 16, 



1889. 



Description — Color: Similar to the buff phase of P. 

 parvus, but with clearer, softer colors; above, bright cin- 

 namon buff finely mixed with black; lateral line distinct; 

 subauricular spot conspicuous ; hairs of belly pure white or 

 with plumbeous bases and buff tips; inner sid6 of foreleg 

 white or buff. Late fall pelage paler. (Osgood.) 



Distribution — The type locality of this species is Kel- 

 ton, Utah, though the range includes the upper Sonoran 

 zone throughout the Great Basin from northern Utah and 

 southern Idaho southwest to Owens valley, California, and 

 west to southern Oregon and northeastern California. Speci- 

 mens have been taken in Utah from Blacksmith Fork, Cache 

 county, Kelton, Laketown, Nephi, Ogden, Otter Creek and 

 Salt Lake City. 



Habits — The habits of pocket mice, as of most other 

 small mammals, are not very well known. Most species are 

 strictly nocturnal and very shy, and many of them are dif- 

 ficult to trap. They live in small burrows from the en- 

 trances of which they throw out miniature mounds of earth 

 like those of the pocket gopher. These burrows usually have 

 two or more entrances, which often open under small 

 bushes, and are closed with earth during the day. The 

 food consists of seeds, which are carried in the cheek 

 pouches and stored in chambers in the burrows. No spe- 

 cies is known to hibernate. (Osgood.) 



