{"id":1641,"date":"2012-09-27T12:15:24","date_gmt":"2012-09-27T16:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/compostvisitation\/?page_id=1641"},"modified":"2012-09-27T18:13:37","modified_gmt":"2012-09-27T22:13:37","slug":"white-footed-mouse-peromyscus-leucopus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/compostvisitation\/mammals\/white-footed-mouse-peromyscus-leucopus\/","title":{"rendered":"White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus<\/em>)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Order:<\/strong> Rodentia, Family:<\/strong> Cricetidae<\/p>\n

Appearance\/Behavior<\/strong>:\u00a0 This small (15.0 \u2013 20.5 cm) mammal has a light reddish brown head, back, and flanks with a white chin, belly, and feet. \u00a0The tail is long (nearly half of overall length; blue arrow) and slender, with minimal contrast between the top and bottom surfaces. \u00a0The head bears large eyes (red arrow) and ears.<\/p>\n

Relative Frequency of Visitation in Study<\/strong>: \u00a0Only a single image (left above) of this mouse has been recorded (by chance during a routine midnight test image capture) at the compost piles.\u00a0 Such extremely infrequent documentation at the piles likely stems from this rodent\u2019s small size rather than its rarity at the study site. \u00a0Cameras focused on the piles are probably too distant (approximately 3 m away) to have their heat\/motion sensor triggered by such a small animal. \u00a0Cameras focused more closely (< 1 m) on stonewalls within the study site yield relatively frequent encounters with this rodent (right above).\u00a0 Hair tube<\/a> monitoring at the piles suggests relatively lower levels of white-footed mouse activity there versus surrounding stonewalls.<\/p>\n

Seasonal Activity<\/strong>: Year-round.\u00a0 The single image of this species was recorded in the summer.<\/p>\n

Daily Activity<\/strong>:\u00a0 Almost strictly nocturnal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Similar Species<\/strong>:\u00a0 After the white-footed mouse, the chipmunk <\/a>is the next smallest mammal recorded at the piles.\u00a0 The chipmunk\u2019s distinctive dorsal <\/a>striping and fuller tail set it apart from the mouse.\u00a0\u00a0 The North American deermouse<\/a> (Peromyscus maniculatus<\/em>), a close relative of the white-footed mouse, also occurs in central Connecticut, although all Peromyscus<\/em> viewed in hand at the field site appear to be leucopus<\/em>. The deermouse has a relatively longer tail that is darker on top than below and terminates with a slight tuft.\u00a0\u00a0 Based on camera trap images alone, it would be difficult to distinguish between these two congeners.<\/p>\n

Well-defined Images:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Near Video:<\/strong><\/p>\n\t