NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse has disappeared from most of its historic range and recovery efforts have brought about mixed results. According to the United States Forest Service, the Jumping Mouse was considered an endangered species in 2014.
One biologist said while the historic range has seen an uptick in the population, other areas have seen drops. He also said it’s a good indicator species. “By an indicator species we mean, if it’s going away because of its dependence on this one type of habitat, then we have a warning sign from this habitat, this ecosystem, is not doing very well and we need to work out what’s going on there,” said Mark Brennan who is a biologist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
According to the National Park Service website, it is estimated that there are fewer than 100 of these mice left and they’re only found in New Mexico, southern Colorado, and Arizona.
