Whitefoot mice

Whitefoot mice
White footed mouse ( Peromyscus sp. )
Systematics
Subordination : Mouse relatives (Myomorpha) Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea) Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae) Subfamily : Neotominae Tribe : Reithrodontomyini Genre : Whitefoot mice
Scientific name
Peromyscus
Gloger , 1841

Deer vole ( Peromyscus maniculatus )

The Peromyscus or Hirsch mice ( Peromyscus ) are a diverse, in North and Central America living rodent species from the group of New world . They include around 60 species.

features

White-footed mice reach a head body length of 7 to 17 centimeters, plus a 4 to 21 centimeter long tail. The weight varies from 15 grams in some species in the north of the range up to 110 grams. The fur is usually golden yellow, gray or brownish on the upper side, the underside is white. However, there are also species that are almost completely whitish or blackish. The ears are large and covered with fine hair, the tail is hairy and often ends in a tassel.

distribution and habitat

The distribution area of ​​the whitefoot mice extends from southern Alaska over Canada , the contiguous state of the USA and Mexico to Panama . They occur in a wide variety of habitats, from mountainous regions to forests and grasslands to desert areas.

Way of life

White-footed mice are often found in large numbers and are among the most common mammals in the areas they inhabit. They are predominantly nocturnal. Some species create nests of grass and other plant material as resting places, while other species retreat into crevices or other shelters. Many species are social and live in families or other small groups.

Their diet consists of seeds, nuts, fruits, insects and other invertebrates, as well as carrion.

Reproduction

Female white footed mouse with young animals

If the climate is not too cold or too hot, reproduction can occur year round. After a gestation period of around 21 to 27 days, the female gives birth to an average of 3.4 (1 to 9) young animals. These open their eyes at two weeks and are weaned at three to four weeks. Sexual maturity can occur between 30 and 50 days. They are very fertile animals, in the laboratory a female can have 14 litters a year.

Most animals in the wild do not live to be 2 years old; in human care they are over 8 years old.

Whitefoot mice and humans

Whitefoot mice are easy to breed and are therefore often used in animal experiments . While the North American species are often widespread and common, many Central American species only inhabit small areas or only small islands and are therefore endangered. The Pemberton deer mouse ( P. pembertoni ), the Chadwick Beach Cotton Mouse ( P. gossypinus restrictus ) and the giant deer mouse ( P. nesodytes ). are extinct, some others are threatened or endangered.

White-footed mice can transmit some potentially life-threatening pathogens to humans, on the one hand hantaviruses , on the other hand they serve as intermediate hosts for the causative agents of Ehrlichiosis , Babesiosis and Borreliosis , which are transmitted to humans via ticks.

Systematics

A total of around 60 species of white-footed mice can be distinguished:

• The Texas mouse ( Peromyscus attwateri ) is common in the southern United States from Texas to Arkansas .
• The Aztec mouse ( Peromyscus aztecus ) occurs from central Mexico ( Veracruz and Guerrero ) to Honduras.
• The Orizaba deer mouse ( Peromyscus beatae ) lives from Mexico to Honduras.
• Peromyscus boylii is native to much of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
• Peromyscus bullatus is only known from two locations in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The species is, according to IUCN as endangered ( endangered ).
• The California mouse ( Peromyscus californicus ) lives in California and the Mexican Baja California peninsula .
• The Burt deer mouse ( Peromyscus caniceps ) is endemic to the Mexican island of Monserrat . It is considered endangered.
• The canyon mouse ( Peromyscus crinitus ) lives in the western United States and northwestern Mexico.
• The Dickey deer mouse ( Peromyscus dickeyi ) is endemic to Tortuga Island near Baja California. It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
• Peromyscus difficilis occurs in Mexico from Chihuahua to Oaxaca .
• The cactus mouse ( Peromyscus eremicus ) lives in the southwest United States and northern Mexico.
• Peromyscus eva lives on the Baja California peninsula.
• Peromyscus fraterculus is native to California and Baja California.
• The black deer vole ( Peromyscus furvus ) lives in mountainous regions in eastern Mexico.
• Peromyscus gardneri occurs in Guatemala.
• The cotton mouse ( Peromyscus gossypinus ) lives in much of the southeastern United States.
• The great deer mouse ( Peromyscus grandis ) is only known in Guatemala , but possibly more widespread.
• Peromyscus gratus inhabits western and southwestern Mexico.
• Peromyscus guardia lives on several islands (Ángel de la Guarda, Granito and Mejía) in the Gulf of California.
• The Guatemala deer vole ( Peromyscus guatemalensis ) occurs in southern Mexico and Guatemala.
• The naked-eared deer mouse ( Peromyscus gymnotis ) is common from southern Mexico to Nicaragua .
• Peromyscus hooperi is native to northern Mexico.
• Peromyscus hylocetes lives in mountainous regions in western Mexico.
• The San Lorenzo deer vole ( Peromyscus interparietalis ) is endemic to the San Lorenzo Islands in the Gulf of California.
• The British Columbia deer mouse ( Peromyscus keeni ) is native to Alaska and western Canada.
• The (actual) white-footed mouse ( Peromyscus leucopus ) occurs in southern Canada, large parts of the central and eastern USA and Mexico.
• Peromyscus leucurus is native to the tropical lowland forests of southeastern Mexico; originally belonged to the plateau mouse.
• Peromyscus levipes lives in mountainous regions in eastern Mexico.
• The Tres Marias deer vole ( Peromyscus madrensis ) is endemic to the Tres Marias Islands off the west coast of Mexico. It is considered endangered.
• The (real) deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) is one of the most widespread species and occurs from northern Canada to southern Mexico.
• Peromyscus mayensis is only known from a small area in Guatemala and is considered critically endangered.
• Peromyscus megalops lives in forests in southern Mexico.
• The Puebla deer mouse ( Peromyscus mekisturus ) occurs only in the Mexican state of Puebla and is considered endangered.
• The Zempoaltec deer mouse ( Peromyscus melanocarpus ) is native to mountain forests in southern Mexico.
• The plateau mouse ( Peromyscus melanophrys ) lives in central and southern Mexico.
• The black-eared mouse ( Peromyscus melanotis ) is native to mountainous regions in eastern Mexico.
• The black tailed mouse ( Peromyscus melanurus ) is endemic to Oaxaca and is listed as endangered by the IUCN.
• The Merriam deer mouse ( Peromyscus merriami ) lives in Arizona and northeast Mexico.
• The Mexican deer vole ( Peromyscus mexicanus ) occurs from central Mexico to Panama.
• Peromyscus micropus occurs in the tropical deciduous forests of the lowlands in western Mexico; originally belonged to the plateau mouse.
• Peromyscus nasutus is distributed from Colorado and Utah to northern Mexico.
• The giant deer vole ( Peromyscus nesodytes ) was endemic to San Miguel Island off California. The species is extinct.
• Peromyscus ochraventer lives in forests in eastern Mexico.
• The white fettered mouse ( Peromyscus pectoralis ) occurs from New Mexico and Texas to central Mexico .
• The Pemberton deer mouse ( Peromyscus pembertoni ) that lived on the island of San Pedro Nolasco has become extinct.
• Peromyscus perfulvus inhabits coastal areas in western Mexico.
• The coast mouse ( Peromyscus polionotus ) is widespread in the southeastern United States. There are some subspecies that specialize in sand dunes as a habitat that are threatened.
• The Chihuahua mouse ( Peromyscus polius ) only lives in the western Chihuahua and is considered endangered.
• Peromyscus pseudocrinitus is endemic to southern Baja California. The IUCN lists them as "critically endangered".
• Peromyscus sagax is only known from the Mexican state of Michoacán , its exact distribution area is unclear.
• The Santa Cruz deer mouse ( Peromyscus sejugis ) lives on the islands of Santa Cruz and San Diego in the Gulf of California.
• Peromyscus simulus is common in the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Nayarit .
• The Catalina deer mouse ( Peromyscus slevini ) is endemic to Catalina Island off Baja California. The species is considered to be critically endangered.
• Peromyscus spicilegus lives in mountainous regions in western Mexico.
• The San Esteban deer vole ( Peromyscus stephani ) is endemic to the island of San Esteban in Mexico and is considered critically endangered.
• The Stirton deer mouse ( Peromyscus stirtoni ) is widespread from Guatemala to Nicaragua.
• The pinyon deer mouse ( Peromyscus truei ) occurs in the western United States and northwestern Mexico.
• Peromyscus winkelmanni lives in a small area in southern Mexico.
• Peromyscus yucatanicus lives on the Yucatán peninsula.
• Peromyscus zamorae is common in the highlands of Mexico at altitudes over 1500 m; originally belonged to the plateau mouse.
• The Chiapas deer mouse ( Peromyscus zarhynchus ) lives in a small area in Chiapas and is considered endangered.

Sometimes the isthmus rats ( Isthmomys ), the Thomas deer mice ( Megadontomys ), Habromys and the Michoacán deer mouse ( Osgoodomys ) are incorporated into this genus.

literature

• John A. King : Biology of Peromyscus (Rodentia). The American Society of Mammalogists, Special Publication, No. 2, 1968, full text
• Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
• Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Consuelo Lorenzo; Sergio T. Álvarez-Castañeda; Sergio G. Pérez-Consuegra; James L. Patton (2016). Revision of the Chiapan deer mouse, Peromyscus zarhynchus , with the description of a new species. Journal of Mammalogy. 97 (3): 910-918. doi: 10.1093 / jmammal / gyw018
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Celia López-González; Diego F. García-Mendoza; Juan Carlos López-Vidal; Cynthia Elizalde-Arellano (2019). Multiple lines of evidence reveal a composite of species in the plateau mouse, Peromyscus melanophrys (Rodentia, Cricetidae. Journal of Mammalogy. 100 (5): 1583–1598. Doi: 10.1093 / jmammal / gyz106

Web links

Commons : White-footed mice ( Peromyscus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Endangerment level of the individual species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .