Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Tiny Deer Mouse

By: Tom Berg

Everyone has seen a mouse at one time or another, right? Mice are very common rodents, but did you see a deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) or a house mouse (Mus musculus)? A deer mouse has a brown back and a white belly, with white legs and feet.  A house mouse is gray or grayish-brown all over and does not have a white belly. Both species have black eyes and fairly large ears.

The deer mouse got its name because its brown coat looks very similar to the brown coat of a whitetail deer. But its name also reflects the fact that the deer mouse is very agile and is a great runner and jumper – just like a deer. Believe it or not, a deer mouse can jump straight up 13 inches from the floor. That’s pretty impressive considering they are less than two inches tall at the shoulder.

The deer mouse is often called a field mouse, simply because of where it lives. These mice usually live in grassy fields and meadows, forests and farmland agricultural areas. They are mostly seed and grain eaters, and they eat all sorts of nuts, weed seeds, grass seeds and flower seeds. They will also be happy to eat mushrooms, small fruits and even insects.

Deer mice are mostly nocturnal, so they usually venture out at night to feed and gather food. Owls are one of their major predators. During the day they rest in nests made of grass, leaves and other dry materials. These nests are often hidden under logs, wood piles, sheds and rock piles.

One thing to keep in mind about most mice – deer mice included – is that they can carry and spread the deadly hantavirus. This virus can be shed by mice in their saliva, urine and droppings, and if infected dust becomes airborne it can be inhaled by people and cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Luckily, deer mice usually stay away from residential areas so people are generally not at risk (human cases are rare). That’s good!

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