Tawny deer mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tawny deer mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Genus: | Peromyscus |
| Species: |
P. perfulvus
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| Binomial name | |
| Peromyscus perfulvus Osgood, 1945
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| Synonyms | |
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Peromyscus chrysopus |
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The tawny deer mouse is a small rodent that lives only in Mexico. It is also sometimes called the marsh mouse. Its scientific name is Peromyscus perfulvus. This mouse belongs to the family Cricetidae, which includes many types of hamsters and voles.
Contents
What Does the Tawny Deer Mouse Look Like?
The tawny deer mouse looks like a typical mouse. It has a long, furry tail. Its fur is a reddish-cinnamon color over most of its body. The fur on its belly is a pale, creamy white.
Its face is a bit greyish. There is a slight ring of darker fur around its eyes. The tail is a sepia-brown color. You can tell it apart from its close relatives by its tail length. Also, it has brownish fur on parts of its back feet. Other similar mice have pure white back feet.
These mice are about 10 to 12 centimeters (4 to 5 inches) long from head to body. Their tails are even longer, from 10 to 14 centimeters (4 to 5.5 inches). Adult tawny deer mice weigh between 30 and 42 grams (about 1 to 1.5 ounces).
Where Do Tawny Deer Mice Live?
The tawny deer mouse lives only in a small area of west-central Mexico. You can find them in Jalisco in the north. They live along the coast down to the northern parts of Guerrero in the south. They also live inland in Michoacán and western State of Mexico.
These mice prefer tropical forests where trees lose their leaves in dry seasons. They also live in other thick plant areas. They are found below 1,300 meters (about 4,265 feet) in altitude. Because they are also called "marsh mice," they often live in wet places. This includes areas near lakes, streams, or man-made irrigation. They have also been seen in fruit orchards and sugar cane farms.
Scientists recognize two types, or subspecies, of the tawny deer mouse:
- P. p. perfulvus - Found in Michoacán, State of Mexico, and Guerrero.
- P. p. chrysopus - Found in Jalisco and Colima.
Life and Habits of the Tawny Deer Mouse
Tawny deer mice are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. They are also solitary, preferring to live alone. They spend a lot of their time in trees. However, they also travel on the ground.
These mice are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes seeds, fruit, and insects. They build round nests using grasses and other plant materials. They hide these nests in trees or among thick plants close to the ground. They usually do not travel far from their homes. Their home range is typically no more than about 70 meters (about 230 feet) across.
The number of mice in an area changes throughout the year. This depends on the local environment. Usually, there are no more than about 15 mice per hectare (about 6 mice per acre). One known animal that hunts the tawny deer mouse is the ocelot, a wild cat.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Tawny deer mice can have babies all year long. Female mice give birth to up to four young at a time. The babies grow inside their mother for about 39 to 46 days.
When they are born, the young mice are hairless and cannot see. They weigh only about 2 to 3 grams (less than an ounce). They stop drinking their mother's milk at about 25 days old. They reach their full adult size after about six or seven weeks.
 | Delilah Pierce |
 | Gordon Parks |
 | Augusta Savage |
 | Charles Ethan Porter |
