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The black-eared mouse (''Peromyscus melanotis''), or black-eared deer mouse, is a species of
Black-eared mice are found in regions of coniferous forest and mixed grassland throughout much of the central mountains of Mexico. They occur from the Neovolcanic range through the
iNaturalist
Smithsonian
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1768730 Peromyscus Mammals described in 1897 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals of Mexico Mammals of the United States Fauna of the Sierra Madre Occidental Fauna of the Sierra Madre Oriental Fauna of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
in the family Cricetidae
The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At almost 608 species, it is the second-largest family of mammals, and has m ...
, native to North America.
Description
The black-eared mouse is one of the smaller species in the genus ''Peromyscus
''Peromyscus'' is a genus of rodents. They are commonly referred to as deer mice or deermice, not to be confused with the chevrotain or "mouse deer". They are New World mice only distantly related to the common house and laboratory mouse, ''Mu ...
'', measuring in total length, including a relatively short tail, long. The fur is tawny to yellow-brown over most of the body, fading from a darker shade on the back to paler on the flanks. The under parts and feet are pure white, with a clear dividing line from the tawny fur elsewhere. A narrow ring of dusky fur is found around the eyes, while the ears are dark brown to black, with white edges. The tail is furred, and has the same color as the body, being tawny above and white below. In at least some localities, the mouse has a slightly paler coat in winter than in summer.
The mouse is virtually identical in appearance to the closely related species '' Peromyscus sonoriensis'' (formerly referred to as '' P. maniculatus''). Although subtle differences in the fur and shape of the skull occur between the species, the considerable overlap in the appearance of individuals means even these features cannot reliably be used to distinguish them. The two species can, however, be distinguished using genetic analysis. and are unable to successfully interbreed.
Distribution and habitat
Black-eared mice are found in regions of coniferous forest and mixed grassland throughout much of the central mountains of Mexico. They occur from the Neovolcanic range through the Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that f ...
and Occidental
Occidental may refer to:
* Western world (of or pertaining to)
Places
*Occidental, California, a town in Sonoma County, California, US
* Occidental Park (Seattle)
Other uses
* Interlingue, a constructed language formerly known as Occidental
* Oc ...
, and across the US border into mountainous regions of southern Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. Within this region, they may be found in rocky or marshy habitats or among forest undergrowth between in elevation. In contrast, ''P. sonoriensis'' tends to live on lower slopes in the same region, although some overlap may occur in ravines and along forest edges.
Biology
Black-eared mice are nocturnal and omnivorous, feeding mainly on seeds and insects. Unusually, they are able to tolerate very bittercardenolide
A cardenolide is a type of steroid. Many plants contain derivatives, collectively known as cardenolides, including many in the form of cardenolide glycosides (cardenolides that contain structural groups derived from sugars). Cardenolide glycoside ...
chemicals, allowing them to consume relatively large quantities of monarch butterflies
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. It ...
. They spend the day in burrows consisting of a nest chamber about across, connected to the surface by a vertical tunnel about in length. They reportedly defend the territory around their nests from other species, in particular driving away Mexican volcano mice, where the two species are found together.
The mice breed throughout the year, giving birth to litters of up to five young, with three or four being typical. No subspecies are recognized.
References
External links
iNaturalist
Smithsonian
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1768730 Peromyscus Mammals described in 1897 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals of Mexico Mammals of the United States Fauna of the Sierra Madre Occidental Fauna of the Sierra Madre Oriental Fauna of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt