9 Endangered Pacific Pocket Mice Released At Camp Pendleton To Boost Species' Survival

CAMP PENDLETON, CA — Nine endangered Pacific pocket mice were released at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in May as part of a genetic rescue mission aimed at strengthening one of North America's rarest mammals, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced Thursday.

The mice were introduced into an existing population to increase genetic diversity and improve the population's long-term chances of survival. The effort is a partnership between San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

The Pacific pocket mouse is the smallest and most endangered mouse in North America, measuring about the size of a human thumb and weighing about as much as three pennies. The species helps maintain Southern California's coastal sage scrub habitat by dispersing native plant seeds and digging burrows that cycle nutrients through the soil.

The nine mice were given superhero-inspired names, including males Whiskerine, Aqclawman, Conan the Burrowbarian, Pocket Raccoon, Professfur X and Endangered Avenger, as well as females Green Lantail, Doctor Squeak and IncrediBelle.

The Pacific pocket mouse was believed to be extinct until a small population was rediscovered in 1993. Since then, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has worked with conservation partners to recover the species, including launching a conservation breeding program in 2012 and conducting managed releases to bolster wild populations.

This year marks 20 years of collaborative conservation efforts for the species involving San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Geological Survey and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.