British Columbia deer mouse
| British Columbia deer mouse | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Peromyscus keeni | ||||||||||||
| ( Rhoads , 1894) |
The British Columbia deer vole ( Peromyscus keeni ) is a rodent in the burrower family that is found in western North America. It is listed as not endangered by the IUCN .
features
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 0 | · | 3 | = 16 |
The species reaches a total length of 14 to 26.3 cm, including a 7 to 12.6 cm long tail. The weight varies between 15 and 52.4 g, the hind feet are 19 to 32 mm long and the length of the ears is 12 to 26 mm. The largest specimens occur on islands in front of the continent ( island gigantism ). The color of the fur on the top is very varied in the different individuals. There are brown, red-brown, dark brown or gray-brown shades. Some specimens have a broad, dark eel line . The abdomen and limbs are covered with light gray to white fur, sometimes with a light brown or reddish brown shade. The tail is divided into a dark brown top and a white bottom. At the end it has a small tassel made of stiff hair. Some specimens have a small patch of completely white hair under their chin.
The head is characterized by long vibrissae , large eyes and large ears covered with short hair. Females have three pairs of teats .
distribution
This deer mouse is found in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory in Canada, as well as in the US states of Washington and Alaska . The inhabited islands include the Alexander Archipelago and the Haida Gwaii . The species is found in the lowlands and in mountains, such as the Cascade Range .
Forests without a closed umbrella or forest edges serve as habitats . The British Columbia deer vole is often found in clearings or aisles. Occasionally she visits cultural landscapes .
Way of life
The British Columbia deer mouse is nocturnal and feeds primarily on seeds, fruits, and invertebrates . In the coastal area it also eats the eggs of seabirds such as Marmelalk ( Brachyramphus marmoratus ) or Rhinoceros ( Cerorhinca monocerata ), which affects the population of these birds. The rodent even falls prey to martens, foxes, owls, birds of prey and snakes.
The hierarchy within this species is not as strong as in other deer mice. Males are generally aggressive towards same-sex conspecifics and females only when they are pregnant. The British Columbia deer mouse can have several litters per year with 3 to 5 pups per litter. The gestation period is about 24 days. Different females can reproduce for the first time as early as five to six weeks after birth.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Peromyscus Keeni in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Cassola, F., 2016. Accessed December 22, 2016th
- ↑ a b Naughton, Donna (Ed.): The Natural History of Canadian Mammals . University of Toronto Press, 2012, ISBN 978-1-4426-4483-0 , pp. 189 (English, Peromyscus keeni ).
- ↑ a b Kimberly Dullen: Northwestern deermouse on the Animal Diversity Web of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved December 22, 2016.