Western Pest Services - Pest Library

Pest Library

White-footed Mouse
Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque)

Class:

Mammalia

Order:

Rodentia

Family:

Muridae

Size:

White-footed mouse head+body length is 3.5-4 in (9-10 cm); tail length is 2.5-4 in (6.4-10 cm); hind foot is 7/8 in (2.2 cm) long; ears are less than 1/2 in (1.3 cm) high. Weight is 3/8 to 1-1/2 ounces.

Characteristics:

Tail is longer than half but usually less than length of head+body, and is covered with short hairs or fur. Hind feet have 6 pads each.

Color:

Upper parts are grayish to reddish brown; belly and feet are white; tail is the same two colors. The young have gray upper parts and white bellies.

Geographic Range:

Eastern U.S. from mid-Maine so. to w. North Carolina, no. South Carolina, no. Georgia, and no. Alabama; west to Montana, no. Colorado, c. Arizona.

Comparison with other mice:

The two-color pattern and hairy tail separate this genus from the house mouse. Deer mouse (woodland) is larger, has longer hind feet and tail; deer mouse (field/prairie) is smaller, has smaller hind feet and tail. Old field mouse is white to fawn above, white below, and tail less than half head+body. Cotton mouse is a little larger, and hind feet are larger. Brush mouse has tail equal to or longer than head+body. Cactus and white-ankled mice have longer hairs on last inch of tail. Pinon and rock mice have long ears, nearly 1 inch high.

Habitat:

The white-footed mouse nests in hidden places, such as old bird or squirrel nests, burrows, logs, tree stumps, buildings. Soiled nests are abandoned. Its home range is 1/2 to 1-1/2 acres, with 4-12 mice per acre. These mice sometimes stay in the nest, but in cold weather they may enter homes, garages, sheds, stored vehicles.

Food:

The white-footed mouse eats seeds, nuts, fruit, beetles, caterpillars, other insects. Favorite foods include the center of the black cherry pit and jewel weed seed. Seeds and nuts are stored near nest in autumn.

Biology:

White-footed mice are nocturnal. They are active all year. They may stay in nest, or enter structures in cold weather. A few may hibernate in northern parts of range. Females begin to breed at 10-11 weeks of age, and have 2-4 litters per year, with 2-6 young per litter. Pregnancy is about 3 weeks long. Life span is 2-3 years in the wild, 5 or more in captivity.

Invasion:

Openings larger than 1/8 in (3 mm) permit entry, which is more likely in cold weather.

Damage:

White-footed mice are structural pests in rural, outbuilding, shed-type buildings and in suburban homes near woods. They damage furnishings and stored food. They are carriers of hantavirus, which is transmitted by inhalation of dust contaminated with urine and droppings of infected mice.