| The White-footed Mouse has a very wide distribution. It is the most abundant rodent in mixed deciduous and coniferous forests in the eastern United States, and is probably equally abundant near farms. Its habitat preferences are very different in southern Mexico, however, as it prospers in semi-desert vegetation. White-footed Mice are excellent swimmers, and so are able to colonize islands in lakes with relative ease. They are not agricultural pests, and they are important ecologically because owls, weasels, snakes, and many other predators eat them. Individuals may live several years in captivity, but an almost complete turnover occurs annually in wild populations. In some places they carry the tick that transmits Lyme disease.
Also known as:
Wood Mouse, Deermouse
Length:
Range:
150-205 mm
Weight:
Range:
15-25 g
References:
Rafinesque, C.S., 1818. Further discoveries in natural history, made during a journey through the western region of the United States, p. 446. American Monthly Magazine, 3:445-447.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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