Brush mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brush mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Peromyscus
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| Species: |
boylii
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| Subspecies | |
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P. b. boylii |
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The brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii) is a small rodent that belongs to the Cricetidae family, which includes many types of mice and hamsters. You can find these mice in the mountains of Mexico and the western United States. They usually live in places higher than 2,000 m (6,600 ft) (about 6,500 feet) above sea level.
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About the Brush Mouse
The brush mouse is a medium-sized mouse. It has small ears and a long tail. Its fur is yellowish-brown on its body. The fur on its belly is slate grey. The tail has only a few hairs for most of its length. But it has a clear brush-like tuft of hair at the very end. This might be why it's called a brush mouse. It could also be because it lives in brushy areas.
An adult brush mouse is about 86 to 105 mm (3.4 to 4.1 in) long from its head to its body. Its tail is usually 88 to 115 mm (3.5 to 4.5 in) long. It looks a lot like other mice living in the same areas. However, you can tell it apart by its tail length, ear size, and the tuft on its tail.
Where Brush Mice Live
Brush mice live in a wide area. This includes northern California, eastern Colorado, and western Texas. Their range also goes south to Baja California and southern Mexico. Scientists have found brush mouse fossils that are up to 35,000 years old. These old fossils were found in the same areas where brush mice live today.
Brush mice prefer certain types of places to live. They are often found where there are many shrubs and trees. These plants are usually less than 16 ft (4.9 m) tall. In California, they like mature chaparral. This is a type of shrubland with lots of plant cover. They avoid open spaces with less plant cover. They also prefer areas where gaps between rocks or plants are small. These gaps are usually less than 4 ft (1.2 m).
The height of the plants also matters to brush mice. They seem to like understory plants that are about 5.0–6.5 feet (1.5–2.0 metres) tall. They are also often found near logs that are over 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide. Understory trees that are 10–33 feet (3.0–10.1 metres) tall are also good habitats. They tend to avoid grassy areas.
Brush mice are often found in places with lots of rocks. They also like areas with piles of fallen branches and logs. These habitats include chaparral, oak/shrub, and pine forests. In Texas, they are found in all major habitats. But they are usually near rock outcrops. Places with many brush mice often have lots of shrubs and debris piles. They also have less grass and tree cover.
Brush mice seem to prefer places with low grass cover. However, some grass is often present in their habitats. They use both grazed and ungrazed pastures. But they stay close to rocky areas and shrubs. They are not found in grasslands far from rocks or trees. They also prefer areas with shallow leaf litter.
Brush mice can also live in areas affected by fire. They have been found in both burned and unburned forests and chaparral. The number of mice found can change depending on how long ago the fire happened.
Elevation can also affect where brush mice live. In northern California, they are found in brush habitats at 3,500–5,000 ft (1,100–1,500 m). But they are not found at higher elevations like 6,500 ft (2,000 m). The direction a slope faces can also be important. In New Mexico, more brush mice were found on south-facing slopes. These slopes might offer more cover from shrubs.
Brush mice can live on flat areas and gentle slopes. But they seem to prefer very steep slopes. This includes hillsides, mountainsides, and canyons. Some slopes they live on are very steep, over 45%. They are common in canyon bottoms and along the sides of brush-covered canyons.
Brush Mouse Subspecies
There are four known types, or subspecies, of brush mouse:
- P. b. boylii – found in northern California
- P. b. glasselli – found on San Pedro Nolasco Island
- P. b. rowleyi – found in most of the rest of their range
- P. b. utahensis – found in central Utah
Brush Mouse Populations
The number of brush mice in an area can vary. In coastal California, there might be 40 to 89 mice per hectare (about 2.5 acres). Weather can greatly affect these numbers. After a harsh winter, the population might drop. But after a mild winter, the number of mice can increase.
Scientists also study how much space a brush mouse uses. This is called its home range. Male brush mice usually have a larger home range than females. For males, it can be about 0.72–1.6 acres (0.29–0.65 hectares). For females, it's usually 0.32–0.79 acres (0.13–0.32 hectares).
Where Brush Mice Hide
Brush mice use different types of cover to stay safe. Males and females use similar habitats. In southern Arizona, their typical habitat has lots of tree, leaf, shrub, and rock cover. Many brush mice are found near rivers or streams. During winter and spring, they use areas with more rock cover. In spring, they also prefer plots with more shrubs and succulents.
In New Mexico, brush mice are often found around rocky areas. They also hide under Gambel oak and juniper trees. Woodpiles and certain plants like sacahuista are also common hiding spots. Less often, they use pinyon pine, gray oak, and other plants.
In southern California, brush mice are found in oak forests. They hide under logs and thick plants. They also like wet slopes near creeks. In coastal California, they are often found under coast live oak and California bay trees.
Fallen logs and rock outcrops are good places for brush mice to build nests. They might also build nests in tree hollows or burrows. Nests are often round and made mostly of dried grasses. They build these nests inside natural holes. In California, nests are found where there are many coast live oak trees. These areas also have an open understory with low plants.
When Brush Mice Are Active
Brush mice are mostly active at night. This means they are nocturnal. In northern California, they are less active during cooler months. But they don't truly hibernate or go into a deep sleep. In warmer southern areas like Arizona, Texas, and Mexico, they are active all year long.
Brush mice become old enough to have babies at about 12 to 19 weeks. However, females can sometimes be ready to breed as early as 5 to 9 weeks. In Arizona, females born in late spring or early summer can become pregnant by August. In warmer regions, breeding can happen almost all year. But in northern California, breeding peaks twice a year. This happens in late spring and again in late summer. This might be because of when food is most available.
Female brush mice usually have 1 to 6 babies at a time. Three or four babies are most common. A female can get pregnant again even while she is still nursing her young. The pregnancy lasts about 23 days. Females can have several litters of babies each year. Young mice are ready to be on their own at three to four weeks old.
Most mice in the wild don't live longer than six months. But in safe places like zoos, they can live up to five years.
What Brush Mice Eat
Brush mice are good climbers and often look for food in shrubs and trees. They eat leaves and fruits. Females are often seen foraging in oak trees more than males. Mice with longer tails seem to spend more time climbing.
Acorns are a favorite food when they are available. They also eat insects like arthropods and cutworms all year. They eat many different fruits and seeds. These come from trees like Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. They also eat seeds from plants like California buckeye, manzanita, and juniper. Other plant parts like leaves, stems, flowers, and new sprouts are eaten in smaller amounts. When other foods are scarce, they might eat fungi. Sometimes, their stomachs have even contained small pieces of other mammals, birds, or lizards.
Brush mice have been seen hiding pine seeds. This means they might help spread seeds for some plants.
Who Eats Brush Mice?
Many animals hunt brush mice. Birds of prey like the northern goshawk and spotted owl eat them. Mammals that might prey on them include coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and raccoons. Snakes also hunt brush mice.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of Agriculture document "Peromyscus boylii".
- Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
