Alfalfa dodder vs Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse

Cuscuta approximata compared with Heteromys desmarestianus

Key Differences

• Alfalfa dodder is Not Evaluated while Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alfalfa dodder	Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Solanales (Solanales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Heteromyidae
Genus	Cuscuta	Heteromys
Species	Cuscuta approximata	Heteromys desmarestianus

Conservation Status

Alfalfa dodder

NE — Not Evaluated

Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alfalfa dodder	Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alfalfa dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China, Tajikistan), Europe (Hungary, Sweden), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Colombia.

Alfalfa dodder

The Alfalfa dodder (Cuscuta approximata) is a species in the genus Cuscuta. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.