08/15/2024
“She’s a wolf…in mouse clothing.”
The southern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys torridus) is also known as the “wolf mouse” because of its cute manner of howling at the moon. But as cute as these mice may look, they are quite tough and can be vicious. They go after some of the fiercest of prey and have even been known to cannibalize other mice. One of their favorite snacks is the Arizona bark scorpion, and while its painful sting can send humans to the hospital, southern grasshopper mice are immune to the toxin.
While evaluating a site for species restoration, our Amphibian Recovery project crew witnessed quite a performance by a southern grasshopper mouse in Tuzigoot National Monument.
After stopping to view a large pinacate beetle walking near their feet, they saw a “tiny, cute white mouse leering out of a hole, looking like a cat ready to pounce,” recalled one crew member. Then it did pounce, “in the most violent way possible, wrestling and loudly crunching on the beetle for what seemed like several minutes.” All the while, the mouse totally ignored the crew who were standing still watching the spectacle before them, a mere 18 inches away. As if she suddenly noticed the crew, the mouse looked up and tore away, leaving the writhing beetle. When the crew returned to the spot later, the beetle and mouse were gone!
Sonoran Desert Network crews never know what creatures they will encounter while doing fieldwork, and they treasure opportunities to witness remarkable wildlife interactions like this “wolf mouse” tackling her prey.
Video description: A small grey mouse with a long tail holds down a squirming black beetle with her front two paws while biting at it aggressively. The mouse shifts positions repeatedly to maintain control over the beetle, which eventually loses the fight. No audio accompanies the video.
