NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Southern Grasshopper Mouse
Onychomys torridus (Coues, 1874)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The southern grasshopper mouse or scorpion mouse (Onychomys torridus) is a species of predatory rodent in the family Cricetidae, native to Mexico and the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah in the United States. Notable for its resistance to venom, it routinely preys on the highly venomous Arizona bark scorpion.
Wikipedia contributors, Southern grasshopper mouse; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T11:27:46.728544+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Onychomys torridus (Coues, 1874)
- Name authority
- (Coues, 1874)
- Common name
- Southern Grasshopper Mouse
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Cricetidae
- Genus
- Onychomys
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
- superfamilyMuroidea Illiger, 1811
- familyCricetidae Fischer, 1817
- subfamilyNeotominae Merriam, 1894
- genusOnychomys Baird, 1857
- speciesOnychomys torridus (Coues, 1874)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Onychomys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Chihuahuan Grasshopper MouseOnychomys arenicola Mearns, 1896 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern Grasshopper MouseOnychomys leucogaster (Wied-Neuwied, 1841) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Onychomys torridus ramona Rhoads, 1893 Rhoads, 1893 | synonym |
| Onychomys torridus tularensis Merriam, 1904 Merriam, 1904 | synonym |
| Onychomys torridus clarus Hollister, 1913 Hollister, 1913 | synonym |
| Onychomys longicaudus Merriam, 1889 Merriam, 1889 | synonym |
| Onychomys macrotis Elliot, 1903 Elliot, 1903 | synonym |
| Onychomys pulcher Elliot, 1904 Elliot, 1904 | synonym |
| Onychomys ramona Rhoads, 1893 Rhoads, 1893 | synonym |
| Onychomys torridus perpallidus Mearns, 1896 Mearns, 1896 | synonym |
| Onychomys torridus yakiensis Merriam, 1904 Merriam, 1904 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=180383 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:49RD6. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.