Blind, naked , and helpless ...that is how life starts for a young Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner). Native to North American, the deer mouse is common and widespread throughout California and across the continent ...and is one of the most common rodents found at the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center. Most folks (those who don't have a phobia about mice in general) even describe them as "cute' or "adorable" because of their large rounded ears, long whiskers, and round beady eyes.
Deer mice are omnivorous with their main diet usually consisting of seeds, fruits, arthropods, leaves and fungi. Their diets change depending upon the availability of food items as they change through the seasons. The average life span for a deer mouse is only 4 years, but development of young is rapid with individuals reaching breeding age within 6-7 weeks. The youngest known wild female to produce a litter was 55 days old.
Being a typical rodent species (Order Rodentia) they are plentiful in number, and inhabit many habitat types where they are populous in wooded areas. Deer mice will often accept the luxuries provided by man and infest rural cabins, barns, and out-buildings. The species Peromyscus is a known carrier of recently emerging human diseases such as hantavirus and lyme disease.
