Grey-spotted Dwarf vs Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Elachista cinereopunctella compared with Perognathus merriami

Key Differences

• Grey-spotted Dwarf is Vulnerable while Merriam’s Pocket Mouse is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Grey-spotted Dwarf	Merriam’s Pocket Mouse
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Elachistidae	Heteromyidae
Genus	Elachista	Perognathus
Species	Elachista cinereopunctella	Perognathus merriami

Evolutionary Relationship

Grey-spotted Dwarf and Merriam’s Pocket Mouse share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Grey-spotted Dwarf

VU — Vulnerable

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Grey-spotted Dwarf	Merriam’s Pocket Mouse
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Grey-spotted Dwarf

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.