Western Deer Mouse (Peromyscus sonoriensis) lives in rocky mountain areas across Western North America. It feeds on seeds and insects. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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In a survey of small mammals on 29 sites in subalpine forests in Colorado and Wyoming, the deer mouse had the highest frequency of occurrence; however, it was not always the most abundant small mammal. Deer mice were trapped in four of six forest communities in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, and they were the only rodent in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) savanna.
Breeding timing shifts with food availability: in Plumas County, California, deer mice bred through December in good mast (both soft and hard masts) years but ceased breeding in June of a poor mast year. Elsewhere, deer mice breed throughout the year in the Willamette Valley, but on the Oregon coast they pause during the wettest, coldest months. In southeastern Arizona at least one-third of captured deer mice were in breeding condition in winter.
A single summer can wipe out an entire local cohort: O'Farrell reported that a population of deer mice in big sagebrush/grasslands had completely turned over (e.g., there were no surviving adults of the initial population) over the course of one summer.
Deer mice they are important prey for snakes (Viperidae), owls (Strigidae), minks (Neovison vison), martens (Martes americana) and other mustelids, as well as skunks (Mephitis and Spilogale spp.), bobcats (Lynx rufus), domestic cats (Felis catus), coyotes (Canis latrans), foxes (Vulpes and Urocyon spp.), and ringtail cats (Bassariscus astutus). They are also parasitized by Cuterebra fontinella.
A 2019 genetic analysis revealed the western deer mouse is a separate lineage from its eastern counterpart. The study split the former P. maniculatus into eastern maniculatus and western sonoriensis.
Sources
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In the whispering grasslands, the Western Deer Mouse weaves a subtle tapestry of life, its large ears twitching like satellites as it navigates the intricate landscape with stealth and precision. With each delicate step, it embodies the essence of adaptability, its grey and brown coat blending seamlessly into the shadows as it forages for seeds and fruits under the cover of night. As it darts through the underbrush, its bright, inquisitive eyes shine like tiny lanterns, illuminating the secret world of this unassuming, yet remarkable, creature.
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