Grasshopper mice seemed to be partial to the more sandy parts of the
Joshua tree flats where the mice were trapped regularly but not
abundantly. This mouse inhabited the barren sandy channels of Mescal
Wash but was rare on the adjacent juniper-clad benches. In the arid,
sandy washes this typical desert rodent penetrated the high
pinyon-juniper association.
Wherever grasshopper mice occurred they were outnumbered by most of the
other rodent species. For example, on November 26, 1949, below Graham
Canyon, 100 snap traps yielded 10 _Dipodomys panamintinus mohavensis_, 2
_Dipodomys merriami merriami_, 4 _Peromyscus maniculatus sonoriensis_,
and 3 _Onychomys torridus pulcher_.
Where abandoned kangaroo rat burrows were common in the Joshua tree belt
these burrows were used as retreats by _Onychomys_. Some traps set at
the entrances to old burrows caught grasshopper mice.
_Specimens examined._--Total, 7, distributed as follows: Los
Angeles County: 8 mi. E and 3 mi. S Llano, 3500 ft., 1; Mescal
Wash, 4200 ft., 5 (3 PC); 2 mi. S Valyermo, 4600 ft., 1 (PC).
=Neotoma lepida intermedia= Rhoads