Isabella Viramontes Noivo

The salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) is an endangered rodent species that is endemic to the San Francisco estuary. Because of its status, it is important to understand as many aspects of its life history as possible. This study focuses on their bite forces in comparison to those of other, coexisting, rodent species. The objective of our study is to compare bite forces among coexisting rodent species in the Suisun Marsh as they relate to potential dietary differences, and to examine how anatomical differences are related to differences in bite force within and among species. By relating bite forces to aspects of their anatomy (such as head dimensions) we can obtain a clearer idea of how these species are adapted to produce the jaw forces they exert. Furthermore, comparing bite forces between the salt marsh harvest mice and coexisting rodent species gives insight into how these species might partition resources based on differences in their abilities to consume different things. Moving forward, the crushing forces of foods typically consumed by salt marsh harvest mice and coexisting species can be tested using a force transducer, to understand if species may be limited to certain food types by their bite forces.