Differential parasitism of Peromyscus maniculatus and Peromyscus truei by Cuterebra larvae

During a 2 - month field study of sympatric Peromyscus maniculatus (Deer Mouse) and Peromyscus truei (pinyon mouse), 12/152 (7.9 percent) P. maniculatus and 1/45 (2.2 percent) P. truei were parasitized by Cuterebra larvae. Both parasitized P. maniculatus and P. truei and nonparasitized P. maniculatus selected different habitats in the community. Differential parasitism of P. maniculatus and P. truei was possibly caused by host specificity of Cuterebra, whereas differential parasitism of P. maniculatus may have been due to habitat selection.     

Variation in the incidence of botfly larvae ( Cuterebra ) in two sympatric species of Peromyscus in northern Colorado

Differences in botfly parasitism were observed in the sympatric species Peromyscus maniculatus and P. difficilis in northern Colorado. The overall incidence of infection was 13.7 percent in P. maniculatus and only 0.6 percent in P. difficilis. The incidence of parasitism was affected markedly by trapping locality and by month of capture.     

Deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, and associated rodent fleas (Siphonaptera) in the arctic-alpine life zone of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Peromyscus maniculatus and related small rodents have been examined for ectoparasites in the tundra region of the Rocky Mountain National Park 1974–1979. One hundred and ninety-four P. maniculatus were examined from two tundra sites. Flea infestation rates were 1.9 fleas per mouse examined and 4.1 fleas per infested mouse. Species taken in significant numbers were Monopsyllus thambus (51 percent), Peromyscopsylla hesperomys (34 percent), Malaraeus euphorbi (9 percent), and Catallagia calisheri (4 percent). Peromyscus maniculatus host/flea relationships in the tundra are compared with those in other life zones in the park.       

Genetic variation of woodrats ( Neotoma cinerea ) and deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) on montane habitat islands in the Great Basin

Seventeen loci were examined for polymorphism in four populations of Neotoma cinerea and Peromyscus maniculatus on isolated mountain ranges in the Great Basin, one population of each in the Sierra Nevada, and one of each in the Rocky Mountains. All Peromyscus populations had higher levels of heterozygosity than syntopic Neotoma populations.     

Rodent populations, biomass, and community relationships in Artemisia tridentata, Rush Valley, Utah

Three desert Artemisia tridentata communities in Rush Valley, Utah, were trapped for small rodents during the summer of 1970, and population densities were estimated for each population category using Lincoln's index. Animals were weighed and rodent biomass calculated by species throughout the summer. Population, biomass, and other data were then analyzed to gain an understanding of the community relationships of the three study areas to each other as well as to the A. tridentata community types of the Great Basin. Peromyscus maniculatus, Eutamias minimus, and Reithrodontomys megalotis were common to area 1, whereas P. maniculatus, E. minimus, and Perognathus parvus were common to areas 2 and 3. The peak estimated standing crops were 182.8 (74.0). 143.1 (57.9), and 129.7 g/acre (52.5 g/ha) for areas 2, 1, and 3 respectively. The population and biomass of area 2 peaked in midsummer, area 1 early summer, and area 3 late summer.     

Cheek pouch capacities and loading rates of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus )

Eight deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus were attracted to bait stations in the field and filled their cheek pouches with seeds. Pouch capacity of the deer mice, which have small, internal cheek pouches, was 0.45 ± 0.11 mL, about 12-27% of that carried by similar-sized heteromyid rodents. Cheek pouches of deer mice, although small, give them the capacity to carry 3-5 times more food than unspecialized mice. This presumably increases efficiency of deer mice in exploiting small, particulate food items that are patchily distributed.     

Competition between harvester ants and rodents in the cold desert

Local distribution patterns of three rodent species ( Perognathus parvus, Peromyscus maniculatus, Reithrodontomys megalotis ) were studied in areas of high and low densities of harvester ants ( Pogonomyrmex owyheei ) in Raft River Valley, Idaho. Numbers of rodents were greatest in areas of high ant-density during May, but partially reduced in August; whereas, the trend was reversed in areas of low ant-density. Seed abundance was probably not the factor limiting changes in rodent populations, because seed densities of annual plants were always greater in areas of high ant-density. Differences in seasonal population distributions of rodents between areas of high and low ant-densities were probably due to interactions of seed availability, rodent energetics, and predation.     

Horizontal and vertical diameter of burrows of five small mammal species in southeastern Idaho

Burrow diameters of five small mammal species, Townsend's ground squirrel ( Spermophilus townsendii ), Wyoming ground squirrel ( S. elegans ), Ord's kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys ordii ), montane vole ( Microtus montanus ), and deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), were examined. Burrow cross sections were noncircular for all species with horizontal diameters 1.2-1.6 times wider than vertical diameters. Montane vole and deer mouse burrows were the smallest diameter, burrows of Wyoming and Townsend's ground squirrels were the largest, and kangaroo rat burrows were intermediate. Soil bulk density and texture significantly affected burrow diameters of montane voles and deer mice but not the other three species.     

Scatter-hoarding behavior of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus )

Deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) are known to larder hoard food, but their scatter-hoarding behavior is poorly documented. Eleven deer mice were each presented with 150 Jeffrey pine ( Pinus jeffreyi ) seeds in 10 γ 10- m enclosures in Jeffrey pine forests on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada. Subjects made a mean ± 1 s of 31.2 ± 30.0 caches per trial. Caches were shallow (most 2-12 mm deep) and usually contained only 1 or 2 seeds. Most caches were made at the edge of antelope bitterbrush ( Purshia tridentata ) shrubs in mineral soil or in thin layers of plant litter. These results suggest that deer mice might make a significant contribution to the dispersal of Jeffrey pine.     

Hip glands in a natural population of montane voles ( Microtus montanus )

Average linear movement by populations of Dipodomys ordii, Microtus montanus, Perognathus parvus, and Peromyscus maniculatus   was investigated over a 15-month period by live trapping on a low-level, radioactive waste disposal area in Idaho. No significant differences in movement among habitats were observed seasonally, excepting M. montanus in spring. Average linear movements within habitats ranged from 20 to 70 m for all species, but some patterns varied seasonally and among age classes for individual species. Although predation on contaminated small mammals from the disposal area is a vector of radionuclide transport, local movements by these rodents do not appear to be of sufficient magnitude to contribute significantly to redistribution of radioactive particles.     

Movements by small mammals on a radioactive waste disposal area in southeastern Idaho

Average linear movement by populations of Dipodomys ordii, Microtus montanus, Perognathus parvus, and Peromyscus maniculatus   was investigated over a 15-month period by live trapping on a low-level, radioactive waste disposal area in Idaho. No significant differences in movement among habitats were observed seasonally, excepting M. montanus in spring. Average linear movements within habitats ranged from 20 to 70 m for all species, but some patterns varied seasonally and among age classes for individual species. Although predation on contaminated small mammals from the disposal area is a vector of radionuclide transport, local movements by these rodents do not appear to be of sufficient magnitude to contribute significantly to redistribution of radioactive particles.     

Summer food habits of a small mammal community in the pinyon-juniper ecosystem

Summer food habits of a small mammal community in the Piceance Basin of Colorado were investigated during 1977 and 1978 using a combination of fecal and stomach content analyses. Three species, deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), least chipmunks ( Eutamias minimus ), and plains pocket mice ( Perognathus flavescens ) consumed arthropods as the majority of their diets. Bushy-tailed woodrats ( Neotoma cinerea ) consumed predominantly woody vegetation, and the diet of golden-mantled ground squirrels ( Spermophilus lateralis ) consisted primarily of forbs and fungi. Mountain cottontails ( Sylvilagus nuttalli ) depended heavily on grasses, with a mix of woody vegetation and forbs composing the remainder of their diet. Most of the species investigated selected different foods and thus avoided competition for food. Plains pocket mice may have competed with deer mice for arthropods in 1977.     

Dynamics of rodent populations in semiarid habitats in Lassen County, California

From 1996 to 2004, we studied population dynamics of a rodent assemblage in semiarid habitats in Lassen County, California. Abundances of rodents appeared affected by fluctuations in precipitation from a high in 1996 to average and slightly below-average levels in subsequent years; perhaps reflecting this, assemblage composition also changed dramatically during the study period. California kangaroo rats ( Dipodomys californicus ) declined from abundant to extremely rare, abundances of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) fluctuated greatly during the study period, and, perhaps most notably, populations of dusky-footed woodrats ( Neotoma fuscipes ) appeared to decline to local extinction, possibly allowing for the subsequent colonization of desert woodrats ( N. lepida ). These changes appeared to represent natural variation in numbers and composition in an ecologically dynamic ecotonal region in response to multiyear changes in precipitation.     

Habitat use and food selection of small mammals near a sagebrush/crested wheatgrass interface in southeastern Idaho

Habitat use and food selection data were collected for deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), montane voles ( Microtus montanus ), Ord's kangaroo rats ( Dipodomys ordii ), and Townsend's ground squirrels ( Spermophilus townsendii ) near a sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata )/crested wheatgrass ( Agropyron cristatum ) interface in southeastem Idaho. Significantly more captures occurred in the native sagebrush habitat than in areas planted in crested wheatgrass or in disturbed sites. Crested wheatgrass, a prolific seed producer, still accounted for over 30% of the total captures. Montane voles and Townsend's ground squirrels (during periods of aboveground activity) used the crested wheatgrass habitat throughout the summer, while deer mice and, Ord's kangaroo rats exhibited heavy use after seed set.     

Habitat use by small mammals in southeastern Utah, with reference to Mexican Spotted Owl management

We determined temporal and spatial differences in abundance and habitat use by small mammals in southeastern Utah as part of an effort to enhance management of the Mexican Spotted Owl ( Strix occidentalis lucida ), listed by the federal government as threatened. Woodrats ( Neotoma spp.) were captured only in canyons and most frequently in the pinyon-juniper ( Pinus edulis-Juniperus osteosperma ) vegetation type. White-footed mice ( Peromyscus spp.) were found in a variety of vegetation types in both canyons and mesas. The deer mouse ( P. maniculatus ) was generally the most frequently captured species among vegetation types. We found seasonal and yearly differences in relative abundance of each small mammal species. Our data suggest that the pinyon-juniper vegetation type within canyons is an important component of Mexican Spotted Owl habitat.     

Effects of prairie dog rodenticides on deer mice in western South Dakota

Mortality of nontarget small mammals was determined after application of three black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) rodenticide treatments (prebaited zinc phosphide, prebaited strychnine, and strychnine alone) in western South Dakota. Immediate (September 1983) and long-term (September 1983 through August 1984) impacts on deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) relative densities were evaluated and the three rodenticide treatments were compared for efficacy. The three treatments had no significant (α < .10) immediate impacts on deer mouse relative densities, although zinc phosphide did lower them; that impact was not, however, long term. Long-term impacts of the two strychnine treatments were variable, with an increase in deer mouse densities with the strychnine only treatment. Overall, comparisons among the three treatments indicated that zinc phosphide was more effective than either strychnine treatment in reducing deer mouse densities.     

Habitat affinities of rodents in northeastern Nevada rangeland communities

From May 1978 through September 1980, baseline data for rodent populations were collected by livetrapping in the Saval Ranch area of northeastern Nevada. The objectives of this study were to determine species composition and relative abundance of rodents for the various range sites. The 3 most abundant and uniformly distributed species were deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), Great Basin pocket mice ( Perognathus parvus ), and least chipmunks ( Neotamias minimus ). Relative abundance indices and densities reported for most species were similar to those reported in other multiyear studies at similar sites. The composition and relative abundance / density of rodent species was variable among habitats and over time. Diverse rodent species within the sagebrush ecosystem have commensurately diverse habitat requirements that should be considered when vegetation management is planned. Annual population fluctuations and differences among similar habitats should be considered when researchers propose to test rodent population responses to livestock grazing or other habitat treatments.     

Role of three rodents in forest nitrogen fixation in western Oregon: another aspect of mammal-mycorrhizal fungus-tree mutualism

To determine the role of the California red-backed vole ( Clethrionomys califonicus ), the northern flying squirrel ( Glaucomys sabrinus ), and the deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) in the nitrogen cycle of forest stands in western Oregon, bacterial colonies were isolated and purified from feces, and their nitrogen-fixing ability measured by acetylene-reduction assay. The ability of the bacterial species Azospirillum &nbsp; sp. to withstand freezing was also tested. Fecal extracts were used to test whether fecal pellets can provide the nutrients necessary for growth of the bacteria. All the feces tested contained viable nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and both species can survive drying and one can survive freezing. Azospirillum colonies grew well on liquid medium but required yeast extract for growth and nitrogenase activity. Fecal extracts from flying squirrels and chickarees ( Tamiasciurus douglasi ) were as effective as the yeast. The results suggest another link in the chain of mutualism that unites small mammals, mycorrhizal fungi, and forest trees.     

Terrestrial vertebrates of the Mono Lake islands, California

We compared vertebrate populations between the two major islands (paoha and Negit) in Mono Lake, California and the adjacent mainland to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying island colonization. Deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) and montane voles ( Microtus montanus ) were captured on Paoha, but only deer mice were captured on Negit. In contrast, eight species of rodents were captured on the mainland. Overall rodent abundance on Paoha and the mainland was similar, but on Negit it was about three times greater than on Paoha or the mainland. Adult deer mice from Paoha were significantly ( P Canis latrans ) and one or two species of lagomorphs were observed on the islands and the mainland. No amphibians or reptiles were found on the islands; both occurred in low numbers on the mainland. Rafting and human transport are probable means of colonization for mice and voles. The occurrence of coyotes on the islands may have modified historic predator-prey relationships, and thus the population of rodents and lagomorphs.     

Associations of Small Mammals Occurring in a Pluvial Lake Basin, Ruby Lake, Nevada

Ruby Lake is a highly mesic and vegetationally diverse pluvial lake basin of east central Nevada. Small mammal associations were examined in six plant communities at Ruby Lake using transects of live traps. Small mammal activity was recorded for these six habitats plus an additional three other specialized habitats. A total of 11 species of small mammals were trapped from the six habitat types; from the entire study area 26 species were trapped or observed. Two greasewood shrub habitats and a shadscale-spiny hopsage habitat held the highest number of trapped species, 6, 5, and 7, respectively. The mesic haymeadow and spring habitats, as well as the big sagebrush-antelope bitterbrush habitat held 4 trapped species each. Peromyscus maniculatus and Perognathus parvus made up 76% of the total captures and were found in all habitat types except marshlands. Eutamius minimus was found in four of the six habitat types, while Dipodomys ordii , Dipodomys microps , Perognathus parvus , and Microtus montanus were limited to specialized habitats. Mesic adapted, wetland species such as Mustela vison , Ondatra zibethicus , and Sorex vagrans possibly dispersed into Ruby Valley from the northeastern drainages and valleys during the late Pleistocene or Holocene.