258.

White-footed Deermouse

Peromyscus leucopus

French: Péromyscus a pattes blanches / German: \Weil3ful3-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Ratén ciervo de pies blancos

Other common names: \ White-footed Mouse

Taxonomy. Musculus leucopus Rafinesque, 1818, type locality not given. Restricted by W. H. Osgood in 1909 to “mouth of the Ohio River,” Ballard County, Kentucky, USA.

Peromyscus leucopus is in the leucopus species group. Seventeen subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.l.leucopusRafinseque,1818—SEUSA.

P.l.affinis].A.Allen,1891—EOaxacaandSVeracruz,Mexico.

P.l.ammodytesBangs,1905—knownonlyfromManomoyI,Massachusetts,USA.

P.l.aridulusOsgood,1909—fromSESaskatchewanandSAlberta,Canada,StoNWKansas,USA.P.lLarizonae].A.Allen,1894—fromSEArizonaandSWNewMexico,USA,StoCDurango,Mexico.

P.l.castaneusOsgood,1904—WYucatanPeninsula,Mexico.

P.l.caudatusR.W.Smith,1939—SNovaScotia,Canada.

P.l.cozumelaeMerriam,1901—CozumelI,Mexico.

P.l.eastiParadiso,1960—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityandsurroundingareainSEVirginia,USA.

P.l.fususBangs,1905—knownonlyfromMartha’sVineyardIandNantucketI,Massachusetts,USA.

P.l.incensusGoldman,1942—fromWVeracruzSthroughPueblatoNOaxaca,Mexico.

P.l.lachiguiriensisGoodwin,1956—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityandimmediatesurroundingareainSCOaxaca,Mexico.

P.l.mesomelasOsgood,1904—fromextremeSESanLuisPotosiStoSVeracruz,Mexico.

P.l.noveboracensis|].B.Fischer,1829—NEone-fourthofUSA.

P.l.ochraceusOsgood,1909—CArizona,USA.

P.l. texanus Woodhouse, 1853 — from NC Texas, USA, S to SE San Luis Potosi, Mexico. PL. tornillo Mearns, 1896 — from SE Colorado and SW Kansas S to W Texas, USA, and extreme N Chihuahua, Mexico.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 85-105 mm, tail 45-100 mm, ear 13-16 mm, hindfoot 17-25 mm; weight 20-23 g. The White-footed Deermouse is small, with brown to cinnamon or gray dorsal pelage. Some subspecies have dark colored mid-dorsal line. Venter is whitish, with hairs having dark bases. Buffy pectoral spot may be present. Feet are white. Tail is slightly bicolored to uniform in color and generally equal to or shorter than head-body length. It is morphologically similar to the North American Deermouse (FP. maniculatus), and the two species often are difficult to discern.

Habitat. Grasslands, old fields, mesquite grasslands, chaparral, thorn scrublands, riparian, pine forests, oak forests, secondary growth forests, tropical deciduous forests, and tropical perennial forests from sea level to elevations of ¢.3000 m. The White-footed Deermouse is found in mesic and arid regions and in temperate and tropical environments. In grasslands, there is generally some shrub or tree component.

Food and Feeding. The White-footed Deermouse eats insects, seeds, and several types of green vegetation.

Breeding. Litters of White-footed Deermice average 3-5-5 young, depending on region and time of year. Breeding can be strongly seasonal, with most reproduction in northern regions occurring in spring and late summer. In some regions, reproduction is year-round, with severallitters produced annually.

Activity patterns. The White-footed Deermouse is nocturnal and semi-arboreal. It can enter torpor when temperatures drop below 3°C. Nests have been found aboveground; at ground level; under piles of rocks, tree stumps, and fallen trees; and in hollow trees. Nests are generally constructed with herbs, leaves, hair, seeds, feathers, shredded bark, and mosses.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Hidalgo, Mexico, densities of up to 4-8 ind/ha were reported in xeric scrublands. Home ranges are 1155 m? for males and 459 m? for females.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Last.

Bibliography. Batzli (1977), Baumgardner et al. (1980), Blair (1954), Burt (1940), Hall (1981), Hamilton (1941), Hamilton & Whitaker (1979), Judd et al. (1978), Lackey (1978), Lackey et al. (1985), McCarley (1963), Musser & Carleton (2005), Osgood (1909), Schug etal. (1991), Whitaker (1966).