A family of small rodents including pocket mice and kangaroo rats, native to the Americas and characterized by external cheek pouches.
From Greek hetero- (different) and -myidae (mouse family), combining hetero- with the scientific family suffix -idae used in taxonomy to denote a family of animals.
These rodents have evolved external cheek pouches—like little grocery bags built into their faces—which is so different from the internal pouches of hamsters that scientists gave them a whole family name meaning 'different mice' to mark that distinction!
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