California deermouse | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Cricetidae |
Subfamily: | Neotominae |
Genus: | Peromyscus |
Species: | P. californicus |
Binomial name | |
Peromyscus californicus (Gambel, 1848) | |
The California deermouse or California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) is a species of rodent in the subfamily Neotominae in the family Cricetidae. It is the only species in the Peromyscus californicus species group. It is found in northwestern Mexico and central to southern California. It is the largest Peromyscus species in the United States. [2] [3]
While most rodents are polygamous, the California deermouse is monogamous and forms pair bonds, [4] making it a model organism for researchers studying the genetics and neurobiology of partner fidelity [5] and paternal care.
The California deermouse has very large ears, and its tail is longer than the head and body combined. Including the tail, which is about 117 to 156 mm (4.6 to 6.1 in) long, the mouse ranges in length from 220 to 285 mm (8.7 to 11.2 in). [6] The coat is overall orange, mixed with black and brown hairs. This dorsal colour shades to a creamy-white belly colour. [7] The manus and feet are white. [2] [8] [9] Adults are large enough that they can be confused with juvenile Neotoma fuscipes , a close relative in the subfamily Neotominae. The dental formula is 1003/1003. [10]
The California deermouse is semiarboreal, but tends to nest on the ground, under debris such as fallen logs, and they will also move into Neotoma fuscipes nests as seasonal residents. [11] Nests are insulated with coarse, dry grasses, weeds, and sticks, and fine grass is used as bedding in the center chamber. [12] [13] The California mouse forms pair bonds and the males help raise the young. [4] [13] [14] [15] A litter usually consists of only two pups, but a pair may produce as many as six litters in a year. Gestation ranges from 21 to 25 days. Weaning occurs when the offspring are five to six weeks of age. [13] [16]
P. californicus is more strongly territorial than P. maniculatus, with both sexes defending the nest site. Males are also aggressive toward one another; their fighting techniques involve jumping, avoidance, and a characteristic mewing cry. [17] This male aggression often is a trade-off between parental care, for males that spend more time engaging in territorial aggression consequently spend less time providing food for offspring. [18] The mouse communicates with other members of its species via ultrasound. The manner in which a male and female communicate changes from a more aggressive style to a more affiliative style during the development of a pair bond, and the characteristics of their vocalizations can be used to predict the stability of the pair bond. [19] California mice are mostly active at night. [20]
The mouse's diet consists of shrub fruits, seeds, and flowers, such as of Rhus integrifolia, Lotus scoparius , and Salvia apiana . [21] They also consume grasses, forbs, fungi, and arthropods. [22]
Sin Nombre orthohantavirus (SNV), a member of the genus Orthohantavirus, is the prototypical etiologic agent of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS).
Peromyscus is a genus of rodents. They are commonly referred to as deer mice or deermice, not to be confused with the chevrotain or "mouse deer". They are New World mice only distantly related to the common house and laboratory mouse, Mus musculus. From this relative, Peromyscus species are distinguished by relatively larger eyes, and also often two-tone coloring, with darker colors over the dorsum (back), and white abdominal and limb hair-coloring. In reference to the coloring, the word Peromyscus comes from Greek words meaning "booted mouse". They are also accomplished jumpers and runners by comparison to house mice, and their common name of "deer mouse" is in reference to this agility.
The Neotominae are a subfamily of the family Cricetidae. They consist of four tribes, 16 genera, and many species of New World rats and mice, predominantly found in North America. Among them are the well-known deer mice, white-footed mice, packrats, and grasshopper mice.
Peromyscus maniculatus is a rodent native to eastern North America. It is most commonly called the eastern deer mouse; when formerly grouped with the western deer mouse, it was referred to as the North American deermouse and is fairly widespread across most of North America east of the Mississippi River, with the major exception being the lowland southeastern United States.
The dusky-footed woodrat is a species of nocturnal rodent in the family Cricetidae. They are commonly called "packrats" or "trade rats" and build large, domed dens that can reach several feet in height. Coyotes and other predators will attempt to prey on these rodents by laying waste to the dens, but the sheer volume of material is usually dissuasive. Occasionally, dusky-footed woodrats will build satellite dens in trees. Although these animals are solitary, except in the mating season, dens are frequently found in clusters of up to several dozen, forming rough "communities". The mating system in this species appears to be variable, with promiscuity most generally at high population densities and monogamy at lower densities.
The Mexican volcano mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae endemic to high elevation areas of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.
The Texas mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas in the United States. This species is named in honor of Henry Philemon Attwater.
The brush mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in mountainous areas of Mexico and the western United States at altitudes over 2,000 m (6,600 ft).
The cactus mouse or cactus deermouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is a species of the genus Peromyscus, a closely related group of New World mice often called "deermice". They are native to desert areas of western North America.
The Angel Island mouse, or La Guarda deermouse, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.
The black-eared mouse, or black-eared deer mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, native to North America.
Slevin's mouse, also known as the Catalina deer mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to Isla Santa Catalina off the east coast of Baja California Sur, an island with an area of about 40 km2 (15 sq mi), and it is the only native mammal on the island. It is named for Joseph Slevin, a curator at the California Academy of Sciences.
The big-eared woodrat is a nocturnal rodent of the woodrat genus Neotoma, in the family Cricetidae. Closely related to, and formerly included in the species Neotoma fuscipes, it is endemic to western North America and occurs west and south of the Salinas Valley from the California Coast Ranges south of Monterey Bay to northern Baja California, as well as in the Sierra Nevada, extending north to the South Fork American River.
A pack rat or packrat, also called a woodrat or trade rat, are any species in the North and Central American rodent genus Neotoma. Pack rats have a rat-like appearance, with long tails, large ears, and large, black eyes. Pack rats are noticeably larger than deer mice, harvest mice, and grasshopper mice, and are usually somewhat larger than cotton rats.
The giant island deer mouse is believed to have become extinct approximately 8,000 years BP and lived during the late Pleistocene on California’s Channel Islands. The giant island deer mice were about 35% larger than the current-day eastern deer mouse.
George James Kenagy is known for his research in ecophysiology and behavior of small mammals.
The Yukon deermouse or Yukon deer mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to Yukon Territory in Canada.
Gambel's deermouse or Gambel's deer mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is native to the United States and Mexico.
The western deermouse or western deer mouse is a rodent native to North America. It is widespread throughout the western half of the continent, mainly in areas west of the Mississippi River.
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