‘Werewolf’ howls at moon and dines on scorpions. It’s a rare rodent found in Kansas

A bloodthirsty, cannibalistic creature has been discovered roaming the Red Hills of Kansas.

Not to worry, though. It’s no bigger than the palm of your hand, and cute enough to be confused with a pet.

The creature, a grasshopper mouse, was recently found by researchers conducting a biodiversity survey throughout the state, Nadia Marji, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, told McClatchy News.

The small rodent is not commonly encountered in the Sunflower State, Marji said, making the recent finding a rare one. Additionally, it displays a number of behaviors and characteristics that make it a particularly fascinating study.

The mouse is nocturnal, spending most of the day resting in abandoned burrows and emerging at night to hunt, Marji said. Eschewing the plant-based diet of its peers, it prefers to chow down on scorpions, snakes, centipedes and even fellow mice.

If it is stung or bitten in the process of hunting, the little creature need not worry. It is immune to “various venoms released by its prey,” Marji said.

In addition to its carnivorous behavior, the mouse has another nocturnal habit that has earned it a nickname: werewolf.

“It will stalk its prey much like other predators and will even defend its territory by ‘howling’ like a small wolf,” Marji said.

“It really does howl at the moon,” Marji added.

This story was originally published June 9, 2023 at 2:03 PM with the headline "‘Werewolf’ howls at moon and dines on scorpions. It’s a rare rodent found in Kansas."