White-footed Mouse
| White-footed Mouse | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Female with sucklings | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Genus: | Peromyscus |
| Species: | P. leucopus |
| Binomial name | |
| Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818) |
|
White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is a rodent native to North America. It ranges from Ontario, Quebec, Labrador and the Maritime Provinces (excluding island of Newfoundland) to the southwest USA and Mexico.[1] In the Maritimes it's only location is a disjunct population in southern Nova Scotia.[2] It is also known as the Woodmouse, particularly in Texas.
Adults are 90–100 millimetres (3.5–3.9 in) in length, not counting the tail, which can add another 63–97 millimetres (2.5–3.8 in). A young adult weighs 20–30 grams (0.7–1.1 oz). While their maximum life span is 96 months, the mean life expectancy for the species is 45.5 months for females and 47.5 for males. In northern climates the average life expectancy is 12–24 months.[3]
This species is similar to Peromyscus maniculatus, the Deer Mouse. Like the deer mouse, it may carry hantaviruses, which cause severe illness in humans.[4]
It has also been found to be a competent reservoir for the Lyme disease causing spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Linzey, A.V., Matson, J. & Timm, R. (2008). "Peromyscus leucopus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/16669. Retrieved 05 February 2010.
- ^ Atlantic Interior, The Natural History of Nova Scotia
- ^ Mammalian models for research on aging (1981) ISBN 9780309030946
- ^ RR5109-Front Cover-Hantavirus.p65
- ^ Donahue JG, Piesman J, Spielman A (January 1987). "Reservoir competence of white-footed mice for Lyme disease spirochetes". Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 36 (1): 92–6. PMID 3812887. http://www.ajtmh.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=3812887.
[edit] External links
- White-footed Mouse, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- White-footed Mouse, CanadianFauna.com
- White-footed Mouse, Canadian Biodiversity Website
