Western jumping mice evolved during the Pleistocene, possibly from the fossil species Zapus burti, which is known from the late Blancan. Their closest relatives appear to be Pacific jumping mice, with which they can still interbreed to produce fertile offspring.[4]
Western jumping mice resemble typical mice in appearance, but with long hind-feet and reduced forelimbs. They range from 22 to 25 cm (8.7 to 9.8 in) in total length, including a tail 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long, and weigh from 17 to 40 g (0.60 to 1.41 oz). The mouse has coarse, dark-greyish-brown fur over the upper body, with a broad yellow to red band along the flanks, and pale yellowish-white underparts. Some individuals have white spots on the upper body, or on the tip of the tail. The two sexes are similar in appearance and size; females have four pairs of teats.[4]
Distribution and habitatEdit
Western jumping mice are found in western North America from Yukon to New Mexico. They inhabit mountainous terrain with moderately damp climates, in meadows and forests dominated by alder, aspen, or willow.[4] They are commonly found in areas of dense vegetation close to fresh water.[5]
Western jumping mice are omnivores, with the largest part of their diet consisting of the seeds of grasses and herbs. Less important food items include fruits, fungi, and insects.[6] Population densities range from 2 to 39 per hectare (0.81 to 15.78/acre), with individual mice having home ranges between 0.1 to 0.6 hectares (0.25 to 1.48 acres), with males generally having larger ranges than females. The feeding grounds of mice can be identified by small piles of grass stems stripped of their seeds, and by the presence of clear runways strewn with grass clippings. Their nests are constructed from grass fragments, and are concealed beneath vegetation or debris.[4]
The mice are nocturnal,[7] but are only active for the summer months, hibernating for the rest of the year. In at least some areas, they spend between eight and ten months of the year hibernating.[4] They subsist entirely on their fat reserves while dormant, and do not cache food; a typical mouse may lose 25% of its body weight during the eight to ten months of its hibernation. However, the hibernation is not continuous throughout this period, with the mice waking, on average, once every 38 days.[4]
The timing of hibernation is related to the weather conditions, with mice entering their dens following the first snowfall, if they have not already done so earlier in the year. They awake once the ground temperature reaches 8 to 9.5 °C (46.4 to 49.1 °F)[8]
Predators include bobcats, weasels, skunks, raccoons, snakes and birds of prey. The mice flee predators by making a rapid series of long jumps, interspersed with short periods when they freeze in place. Although they normally move by making short hops and occasional leaps of up to 36 cm (14 in), when startled, their leaps may reach 72 cm (28 in) along the ground, and 30 cm (12 in) into the air.[9]
ReproductionEdit
Female western jumping mice enter estrus within one week of emerging from the hibernation, and typically breed only once each year. Gestation lasts for eighteen days, and results in the birth of a litter of four to eight young. The pups are born blind and hairless, weighing about 0.8 g (0.03 oz). They are weaned between 28 and 35 days of age.[4]
They are apparently able to breed by the time they complete their first hibernation, although only around 40% do so, with the remainder waiting for a further year.[10] They live for three to four years.[11]
ReferencesEdit
^Cassola, F. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Zapus princeps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T42614A115195084. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T42614A22203482.en. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
^Holden, M.E.; Musser, G.G. (2005). "Family Dipodidae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 871–893. ISBN978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^Brown, L.N. (1967). "Ecological distribution of mice in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming". Ecology. 18 (4): 677–679. doi:10.2307/1936518. JSTOR 1936518.
^Anderson, D.C.; et al. (1980). "Herbivorous mammals along a montane sere: community structure and energetics". Journal of Mammalogy. 61 (3): 500–519. doi:10.2307/1379843. JSTOR 1379843.
^Wrigley, R.E.; et al. (1991). "Distribution and ecology of six rare species of prairie rodents in Manitoba". Canadian Field-Naturalist. 105: 1–12.
^Cranford. J.A. (1978). "Hibernation in the western jumping mouse (Zapus princeps)". Journal of Mammalogy. 59 (3): 496–509. doi:10.2307/1380226. JSTOR 1380226.
^Jones, G.S. & Jones, D.B. (1985). "Observations of intraspecific behavior of meadow jumping mice, Zapus hudsonius, and escape behaviour of a western jumping mouse, Zapus princeps, in the wild". Canadian Field-Naturalist. 99: 378–379.
^Falk, J.W. & Millar, J.S. (1987). "Reproduction by female Zapus princeps in relation to age, size, and body fat". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 65 (3): 568–571. doi:10.1139/z87-088.
^Brown, L.N. (1970). "Population dynamics of the western jumping mouse (Zapus princeps) during a four-year study". Journal of Mammalogy. 51 (4): 651–658. doi:10.2307/1378291. JSTOR 1378291.
October 15, 2023
western, jumping, mouse, western, jumping, mouse, zapus, princeps, species, rodent, family, zapodidae, found, canada, united, states, conservation, statusleast, concern, iucn, scientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingdom, animaliaphylum, chordataclass, m. The western jumping mouse Zapus princeps is a species of rodent in the family Zapodidae 2 It is found in Canada and the United States 3 Western jumping mouseConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder RodentiaFamily ZapodidaeGenus ZapusSpecies Z princepsBinomial nameZapus princepsAllen 1893Western jumping mice evolved during the Pleistocene possibly from the fossil species Zapus burti which is known from the late Blancan Their closest relatives appear to be Pacific jumping mice with which they can still interbreed to produce fertile offspring 4 Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Biology 4 Reproduction 5 ReferencesDescription EditWestern jumping mice resemble typical mice in appearance but with long hind feet and reduced forelimbs They range from 22 to 25 cm 8 7 to 9 8 in in total length including a tail 13 to 15 cm 5 1 to 5 9 in long and weigh from 17 to 40 g 0 60 to 1 41 oz The mouse has coarse dark greyish brown fur over the upper body with a broad yellow to red band along the flanks and pale yellowish white underparts Some individuals have white spots on the upper body or on the tip of the tail The two sexes are similar in appearance and size females have four pairs of teats 4 Distribution and habitat EditWestern jumping mice are found in western North America from Yukon to New Mexico They inhabit mountainous terrain with moderately damp climates in meadows and forests dominated by alder aspen or willow 4 They are commonly found in areas of dense vegetation close to fresh water 5 Eleven subspecies are currently recognised 4 Zapus princeps princeps eastern Wyoming Colorado northern New Mexico Z p chrysogenys La Sal Mountains Z p cinereus southeastern Idaho and northwestern Utah Z p curtatus northwestern Nevada Z p idahoensis northern Idaho western Montana central Wyoming Z p kootenayensis southern British Columbia northwestern Washington Z p minor from southern Alberta to northeastern South Dakota Z p oregonus Oregon southeastern Idaho northern Nevada Z p pacificus northern California Z p saltator British Columbia to southern Yukon Z p utahensis Utah and western WyomingBiology EditWestern jumping mice are omnivores with the largest part of their diet consisting of the seeds of grasses and herbs Less important food items include fruits fungi and insects 6 Population densities range from 2 to 39 per hectare 0 81 to 15 78 acre with individual mice having home ranges between 0 1 to 0 6 hectares 0 25 to 1 48 acres with males generally having larger ranges than females The feeding grounds of mice can be identified by small piles of grass stems stripped of their seeds and by the presence of clear runways strewn with grass clippings Their nests are constructed from grass fragments and are concealed beneath vegetation or debris 4 The mice are nocturnal 7 but are only active for the summer months hibernating for the rest of the year In at least some areas they spend between eight and ten months of the year hibernating 4 They subsist entirely on their fat reserves while dormant and do not cache food a typical mouse may lose 25 of its body weight during the eight to ten months of its hibernation However the hibernation is not continuous throughout this period with the mice waking on average once every 38 days 4 The timing of hibernation is related to the weather conditions with mice entering their dens following the first snowfall if they have not already done so earlier in the year They awake once the ground temperature reaches 8 to 9 5 C 46 4 to 49 1 F 8 Predators include bobcats weasels skunks raccoons snakes and birds of prey The mice flee predators by making a rapid series of long jumps interspersed with short periods when they freeze in place Although they normally move by making short hops and occasional leaps of up to 36 cm 14 in when startled their leaps may reach 72 cm 28 in along the ground and 30 cm 12 in into the air 9 Reproduction EditFemale western jumping mice enter estrus within one week of emerging from the hibernation and typically breed only once each year Gestation lasts for eighteen days and results in the birth of a litter of four to eight young The pups are born blind and hairless weighing about 0 8 g 0 03 oz They are weaned between 28 and 35 days of age 4 They are apparently able to breed by the time they complete their first hibernation although only around 40 do so with the remainder waiting for a further year 10 They live for three to four years 11 References Edit Cassola F 2017 errata version of 2016 assessment Zapus princeps IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T42614A115195084 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T42614A22203482 en Retrieved 9 March 2022 Holden M E Musser G G 2005 Family Dipodidae In Wilson D E Reeder D M eds Mammal Species of the World A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference 3rd ed Johns Hopkins University Press pp 871 893 ISBN 978 0 8018 8221 0 OCLC 62265494 California Department of Fish and Game March 2006 Complete List of Amphibian Reptile Bird and Mammal Species in California PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2007 07 03 Retrieved 2007 07 06 a b c d e f g h Hart E B et al 2004 Zapus princeps PDF Mammalian Species 749 1 7 doi 10 1644 749 S2CID 19553066 Brown L N 1967 Ecological distribution of mice in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming Ecology 18 4 677 679 doi 10 2307 1936518 JSTOR 1936518 Anderson D C et al 1980 Herbivorous mammals along a montane sere community structure and energetics Journal of Mammalogy 61 3 500 519 doi 10 2307 1379843 JSTOR 1379843 Wrigley R E et al 1991 Distribution and ecology of six rare species of prairie rodents in Manitoba Canadian Field Naturalist 105 1 12 Cranford J A 1978 Hibernation in the western jumping mouse Zapus princeps Journal of Mammalogy 59 3 496 509 doi 10 2307 1380226 JSTOR 1380226 Jones G S amp Jones D B 1985 Observations of intraspecific behavior of meadow jumping mice Zapus hudsonius and escape behaviour of a western jumping mouse Zapus princeps in the wild Canadian Field Naturalist 99 378 379 Falk J W amp Millar J S 1987 Reproduction by female Zapus princeps in relation to age size and body fat Canadian Journal of Zoology 65 3 568 571 doi 10 1139 z87 088 Brown L N 1970 Population dynamics of the western jumping mouse Zapus princeps during a four year study Journal of Mammalogy 51 4 651 658 doi 10 2307 1378291 JSTOR 1378291 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Western jumping mouse amp oldid 1152897520, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
