White-footed Mouse

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5 - Secure
SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

White-footed Mouse is a medium-sized, nocturnal, ground dwelling mouse. It occurs in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, in adjacent Canadian provinces, in Mexico, and in Central America. It is very common in most of Minnesota but completely absent in the extreme northeast and most of the Arrowhead region. It is very similar to and difficult to distinguish from the deer mouse, which occurs throughout the state and often in the same habitats. Its preferred habitat is deciduous woodlands and shrubby areas, but it is also found in open areas, disturbed areas, and around buildings.

Adults are 3½″ to 4⅛″ (91 to 107 mm) in length from nose to tail, 59 ⁄16″ to 83 ⁄16″ (145 to 205 mm) in total length including the tail. They weigh from ½ to 1⅞ ounces (15 to 25 grams).

The coat (pelage) is pale to rich reddish- or orangish-brown with a broad blackish stripe down the back (middorsal). The belly and feet are white. The tail is “gradually bi-colored,” dark above and white below with a narrow region where one color grades into the other. The hairs on the throat are completely white, not gray in the basal half. Juveniles are gray.

The eyes are large. The ears are prominent, thin, and sparsely covered with fur. The upper lip is dusky. The tail is long but not quite as long as the head and body, about 45% of the mouse’s total length.

Size

Total length: 59 ⁄16″ to 83 ⁄16″ (145 to 205 mm)

Head and body: 3½″ to 4⅛″ (91 to 107 mm)

Tail: 2⅜″ to 4″ (61 to 102 mm)

Sign

The hind track of a deer mouse is ¼″ to ½″ long, ⅜″ to ½″ wide, and shows five toes. The fore track is similar in size but shows only four toes. The trail is 1⅜″ to 1¾″ wide, similar to that of a chipmunk only smaller.

Similar Species

Habitat

Mostly deciduous woodlands with shrubby under-story and brushy fields, but also open areas, disturbed areas, and around buildings.

Ecology

Behavior

Adults are active year round at night. They spend most of their time on the ground.

Lifespan

1 to 2 years

Life Cycle

Food

Seeds, nuts, and insects