Perognathus

Perognathus is a genus of pocket mouse. Like other members of their family they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice. The silky pocket mice are small animals with soft pelage, long tails, and small feet compared to other heteromyids. They have long claws which are used for digging burrows and sifting sandy substrates for seeds. They have also been found to steal seeds from kangaroo rats' dens. They store these seeds in large hairy external cheek pouches. They are nocturnal and are found in arid habitats. They are not true hibernators, but will go into torpor and stay in their burrows for extended periods of time. Sometimes members of the genus Chaetodipus are placed in Perognathus.