Peromyscus maniculatus
Encyclopedia
Peromyscus maniculatus is a rodent
native to North America
. It is most commonly called the Deer Mouse, although that name is common to most species of Peromyscus
and is fairly widespread across the continent, with the major exception being the southeast United States and the far north.
Like other Peromyscus species, it is a carrier of emerging diseases such as hantaviruses and lyme disease
.
It is closely related to Peromyscus leucopus, the White-footed Mouse.
that lives in the Americas and is closely related to the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus. Because the two species are extremely similar in appearance, they are best distinguished through red blood cell agglutination tests or karyotype techniques. The deer mouse can also be distinguished physically by its long and multicolored tail. Deer mice are very often used for laboratory experimentation due to their self cleanliness and easy care.
and hearing
. Their soft fur can vary in color, from white to black, but all deer mice have a distinguishable white underside and white feet.
material. The pups within litters of deer mice are kept by the mother within an individual home range. The deer mice do not mingle in groups with their litters. During the development stages, the mice within one litter interact much more than mice of two different litters. Although deer mice live in individual home ranges, these ranges do tend to overlap. When overlapping occurs, it is more likely to be with opposite sexes rather than with the same sex. Deer mice that live within overlapping home ranges tend to recognize one another and interact a lot.
other areas on the Oregon coast there is usually a lull during the wettest and coldest weather. In southeastern Arizona at least one-third of captured deer mice were in breeding condition in winter. In Virginia breeding peaks occur from April to June and from September to October.
In a study, less than half of both male and female deer mice left their original home range to reproduce. This means that there is intrafamilial mating and that the gene flow among deer mice as a whole is limited.
help care for the young.
furred and independent in only a few weeks. Females lactate for 27
to 34 days after giving birth; most young are weaned at about 18 to 24 days. Young reach adult size at about 6 weeks and continue to gain weight slowly thereafter.
Age of first estrus averages about 48 days; the earliest recorded was 23 days. The youngest wild female to produce a litter was 55 days old; it was estimated that conception had occurred when she was about 32 days old.
lived 32 months, and there is a report of a forest deer mouse that lived 8 years in captivity (another mouse was fertile until almost 6 years of age).
, Canada
, and parts of South America
. The majority of deer mice nest up high in large hollow trees. The deer mouse nests alone for the most part but will sometimes nest with a deer mouse of the opposite sex. They are populous in the western mountains and live in wooded areas and areas that were previously wooded. The deer mouse is generally a nocturnal creature. Deer mice can be found active on top of snow or beneath logs during the winter seasons.
Deer mice inhabit a wide variety of plant communities including grasslands, brushy areas, woodlands, and forests. In a survey of small mammals on 29 sites in subalpine forests in Colorado and Wyoming, the deer mouse had the highest frequency of occurrence; however, it was not always the most abundant small mammal. Deer mice were trapped in four of six forest communities in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, and they were the only rodent in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) savanna. In northern New England deer mice are present in both coniferous and deciduous
forests. Deer mice are often the only Peromyscus species in northern boreal forest. Subspecies differ in their use of plant communities and vegetation structures. There are two main groups of deer mouse: the prairie deer mouse and the woodland or forest deer mouse group.
and Clethrionomys spp.) do. In open habitat within forests deer mice have a tendency to visit the nearest timber. In central Ontario deer mice used downed wood for runways.
Deer mice nest in burrows dug in the ground or construct nests in raised
areas such as brush piles, logs, rocks, stumps, under bark, and in
hollows in trees . Nests are also constructed in various structures and artifacts including old boards and abandoned vehicles.
Nests have been found up to 79 feet (24 m) above the ground in
Douglas-fir
trees.
mink (Mustela vison), marten (Martes americana) and other weasels
(Mustelidae), skunks (Mephites and Spilogale spp.), bobcat
(Lynx rufus),
domestic cat (Felis cattus), coyote
(Canis latrans), foxes (Vulpes and
Urocyon spp.), and ringtail (Bassariscus astutus).
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is most commonly called the Deer Mouse, although that name is common to most species of Peromyscus
Peromyscus
The genus Peromyscus contains the animal species commonly referred to as deer mice. This is a genus of New World mouse only distantly related to the common house mouse and laboratory mouse, Mus musculus...
and is fairly widespread across the continent, with the major exception being the southeast United States and the far north.
Like other Peromyscus species, it is a carrier of emerging diseases such as hantaviruses and lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
.
It is closely related to Peromyscus leucopus, the White-footed Mouse.
Overview
The scientific name for a deer mouse is Peromyscus maniculatus. The species has 66 subspecies. They are all tiny mammals that are plentiful in number. The deer mouse is described as a small rodentRodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
that lives in the Americas and is closely related to the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus. Because the two species are extremely similar in appearance, they are best distinguished through red blood cell agglutination tests or karyotype techniques. The deer mouse can also be distinguished physically by its long and multicolored tail. Deer mice are very often used for laboratory experimentation due to their self cleanliness and easy care.
Physical description
The deer mouse is small in size, only 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) long, not counting the length of the tail. They have large beady eyes and large ears giving them good sightVisual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
and hearing
Hearing (sense)
Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through an organ such as the ear. It is one of the traditional five senses...
. Their soft fur can vary in color, from white to black, but all deer mice have a distinguishable white underside and white feet.
Behavior
Deer mice are nocturnal creatures who spend the day time in areas such as trees or burrows where they have nests made of plantPlant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
material. The pups within litters of deer mice are kept by the mother within an individual home range. The deer mice do not mingle in groups with their litters. During the development stages, the mice within one litter interact much more than mice of two different litters. Although deer mice live in individual home ranges, these ranges do tend to overlap. When overlapping occurs, it is more likely to be with opposite sexes rather than with the same sex. Deer mice that live within overlapping home ranges tend to recognize one another and interact a lot.
Breeding season
The female deer mouse can reproduce at all times of the year, though in most parts of their range deer mice breed from March to October. Deer mouse breeding tends to be determined more by food availability than by season per se. In Plumas County, California, deer mice bred through December in good mast (both soft and hard masts) years but ceased breeding in June of a poor mast year. Deer mice breed throughout the year in the Willamette Valley, but inother areas on the Oregon coast there is usually a lull during the wettest and coldest weather. In southeastern Arizona at least one-third of captured deer mice were in breeding condition in winter. In Virginia breeding peaks occur from April to June and from September to October.
Nesting
Female deer mice construct nests using a variety of materials including grasses, roots, mosses, wool, thistledown, and various artificial fibers. The male deer mice are allowed by the female to help nest the litter and keep them together and warm for survival.In a study, less than half of both male and female deer mice left their original home range to reproduce. This means that there is intrafamilial mating and that the gene flow among deer mice as a whole is limited.
Gestation, litter size and productivity
Deer mice reproduce profusely and are highest in numbers among their species compared to other local mammals. Peromyscus species gestation periods range from 22 to 26 days. Typical litters are composed of three to five young; litter size ranges from one to nine young. Most female deer mice have more than one litter per year. Three or four litters per year is probably typical; captive deer mice have borne as many as 14 litters in one year. Males usually live with the family andhelp care for the young.
Development of young
Deer mice are born blind, naked, and helpless; development is rapid. Young deer mice have full coats by the end of the second week; their eyes open between 13 and 19 days; and they are fullyfurred and independent in only a few weeks. Females lactate for 27
to 34 days after giving birth; most young are weaned at about 18 to 24 days. Young reach adult size at about 6 weeks and continue to gain weight slowly thereafter.
Age of first estrus averages about 48 days; the earliest recorded was 23 days. The youngest wild female to produce a litter was 55 days old; it was estimated that conception had occurred when she was about 32 days old.
Dispersal
Deer mouse pups usually disperse after weaning and before the birth of the next litter, when they are reaching sexual maturity. Occasionally juveniles remain in the natal area, particularly when breeding space is limited. Most deer mice travel less than 500 feet (152 m) from the natal area to establish their own home range.Longevity and mortality
While their maximum life span is 96 months, the mean life expectancy is 45.5 months for females and 47.5 for males. In many areas deer mice live less than 1 year. O'Farrell reported that a population of deer mice in big sagebrush/grasslands had completely turned over (e.g., there were no surviving adults of the initial population) over the course of one summer. One captive male deer mouselived 32 months, and there is a report of a forest deer mouse that lived 8 years in captivity (another mouse was fertile until almost 6 years of age).
Habitat
Peromyscus maniculatus are found in places including AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and parts of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The majority of deer mice nest up high in large hollow trees. The deer mouse nests alone for the most part but will sometimes nest with a deer mouse of the opposite sex. They are populous in the western mountains and live in wooded areas and areas that were previously wooded. The deer mouse is generally a nocturnal creature. Deer mice can be found active on top of snow or beneath logs during the winter seasons.
Deer mice inhabit a wide variety of plant communities including grasslands, brushy areas, woodlands, and forests. In a survey of small mammals on 29 sites in subalpine forests in Colorado and Wyoming, the deer mouse had the highest frequency of occurrence; however, it was not always the most abundant small mammal. Deer mice were trapped in four of six forest communities in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, and they were the only rodent in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) savanna. In northern New England deer mice are present in both coniferous and deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forests. Deer mice are often the only Peromyscus species in northern boreal forest. Subspecies differ in their use of plant communities and vegetation structures. There are two main groups of deer mouse: the prairie deer mouse and the woodland or forest deer mouse group.
Cover requirements
Deer mice are often active in open habitat; most subspecies do not develop hidden runways the way many voles (MicrotusMicrotus
The genus Microtus is a group of voles found in North America, Europe and northern Asia. The genus name refers to the small ears of these animals. There are 62 species in the genus....
and Clethrionomys spp.) do. In open habitat within forests deer mice have a tendency to visit the nearest timber. In central Ontario deer mice used downed wood for runways.
Deer mice nest in burrows dug in the ground or construct nests in raised
areas such as brush piles, logs, rocks, stumps, under bark, and in
hollows in trees . Nests are also constructed in various structures and artifacts including old boards and abandoned vehicles.
Nests have been found up to 79 feet (24 m) above the ground in
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
trees.
Predators
Deer mice are important prey for snakes (Viperidae), owls (Strigidae),mink (Mustela vison), marten (Martes americana) and other weasels
(Mustelidae), skunks (Mephites and Spilogale spp.), bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
(Lynx rufus),
domestic cat (Felis cattus), coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
(Canis latrans), foxes (Vulpes and
Urocyon spp.), and ringtail (Bassariscus astutus).