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, Mus musculus. From this distant relative, Peromyscus species are distinguished by relatively larger eyes, and also often two-tone coloring, with darker colors over the dorsum (back), and white abdominal and limb hair-coloring. In reference to the coloring, the word Peromyscus comes from Greek words meaning "booted mouse".<ref name="Crossland"/> They are also accomplished jumpers and runners by comparison to house mice, and their common name of "deer mouse" (coined in 1833) is in reference to both this agility as well as their two-toned coloring.<ref>Deer mouse etymology from Merriam-Webster. Accessed April 6, 2025. https://www.merriam-webster.com/ (2025-04-06). Retrieved on 2025-04-06.</ref>

The most common species of deer mice in the continental United States are two closely related species, P. maniculatus and P. leucopus. In the United States, Peromyscus is the most populous mammalian genus overall, and has become notorious in the western United States as a carrier of hantaviruses.<ref name="cdc.gov">CDC – Hantavirus. Cdc.gov (2012-11-01). Retrieved on 2014-01-05.</ref><ref>What if ... Template:Webarchive. University of South Carolina</ref>

Reservoir of human disease

Hantavirus

The deer mouse came to the attention of the public when it was discovered to be the primary reservoir species for Sin Nombre hantavirus.<ref name="cdc.gov"/><ref name="Deadly">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Lyme disease

A recent study in British Columbia of 218 deer mice showed 30% (66) were seropositive for Borrelia burgdorferi,<ref>Canada Communicable Disease Report (CCDR) – Vol.34 CCDR-01 – Public Health Agency of Canada. Phac-aspc.gc.ca (2008-01-30). Retrieved on 2014-01-05.</ref> the agent of Lyme disease.

Other diseases

Ehrlichiosis and babesiosis are also carried by the deer mouse.<ref name="Crossland">Crossland, J. and Lewandowski, A. (2006). Peromyscus – A fascinating laboratory animal model Template:Webarchive. Techtalk 11:1–2.</ref>

SARS-CoV-2 transmits efficiently in deer mice.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Use as a laboratory animal

While wild populations are sometimes studied,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Peromyscus species are also easy to breed and keep in captivity, although they are more energetic and difficult to handle than the relatively more tame M. musculus. For certain studies, they are also favored over the laboratory mouse (M. musculus) and the laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus). Apart from their importance in studying infectious diseases, Peromyscus species are useful for studying phylogeography, speciation, chromosomes, genetics, ecology, population genetics, conservation<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and evolution in general. They are also useful for researching repetitive-movement disorders.<ref name="Joyner">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Their use in aging research is because Peromyscus spp., despite being of similar size to the standard laboratory mouse, have maximum lifespans of 5–7 years, compared to the 3-year maximum lifespan of ad libitum-fed laboratory strains or wild-caught M. musculus.<ref name="Crossland" />

The Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center at the University of South Carolina was established by Professor Wallace Dawson in 1985 to raise animals of the peromyscine species for research and educational use. This institute maintains populations of several different species (including Peromyscus californicus, Peromyscus maniculatus, Peromyscus melanophrys, Peromyscus eremicus, and Peromyscus aztecus). A variety of mutations affecting their behavior, biochemistry, and the color of their coats is exhibited in these genetic lines.

An American scientist once asked, "How do you go out there and vaccinate a bunch of deer mice against Hantavirus by hand?"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2017, Rocky Mountain Laboratories started a deer mouse (Peromyscus) colony.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The BSL-4 laboratory had used deer mice as a model for research on self-spreading vaccines.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> SARS-CoV-2 transmits efficiently in deer mice.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Species

• Peromyscus
  • californicus group
    • California deermouse – P. californicus
  • eremicus group
    • Cactus mouse – P. eremicus
    • Burt's deer mouse– P. caniceps
    • Dickey's deer mouse – P. dickeyi
    • Eva's desert mouse – P. eva
    • Northern Baja deer mouse– P. fraterculus
    • Angel Island mouse – P. guardia – possibly extinct
      • P. g. guardia – last seen 1991
      • P. g. mejiae – extinct (1973)
      • P. g. harbisoni – extinct (1963)
      • P. guardia subsp. indet. from Estanque Island – extinct (1998)
    • San Lorenzo mouse – P. interparietalis
    • Mesquite mouse – P. merriami
    • Pemberton's deer mouse – P. pembertoni – extinct (1931)
    • False canyon mouse – P. pseudocrinitus
  • hooperi group
    • Hooper's mouse – P. hooperi
  • crinitus group
    • Canyon mouse – P. crinitus
  • maniculatus group
    • Eastern deer mouse − P. maniculatus
    • Yukon deer mouse – P. sp.<ref name=Bradley2019/>
    • Gambel's deer mouse – P. gambelii<ref name=Bradley2019>Template:Cite journal</ref>
    • Northwestern deer mouse – P. keeni
    • Southern deer mouse – P. labecula<ref name=Bradley2019/>
    • Black-eared mouse – P. melanotis
    • †Giant island deer mouse – P. nesodytes – extinct
    • Oldfield mouse or beach mouse – P. polionotus
      • P. p. allophrys
      • P. p. ammobates
      • Pallid beach mouse P. p. decoloratus – extinct (1959)
      • P. p. leucocephalus
      • P. p. niveiventris
      • P. p. peninsularis
      • Anastasia Island beach mouse P. p. phasma
      • P. p. trissyllepsis
    • Santa Cruz mouse – P. sejugis
    • Slevin's mouse – P. slevini
    • Western deer mouse – P. sonoriensis<ref name=Bradley2019/>
  • leucopus group
    • White-footed mouse – P. leucopus
    • Cotton mouse – P. gossypinus
      • Key Largo cotton mouse P. g. allapaticola
      • †Chadwick Beach cotton mouse P. g. restrictus – extinct (1938)
  • aztecus group
    • Aztec mouse – P. aztecus
    • Transvolcanic deer mouse – P. hylocetes
    • Oaxacan deer mouse – P. oaxacensis
    • Gleaning mouse – P. spicilegus
    • Winkelmann's mouse – P. winkelmanni
  • boylii group
    • Brush mouse – P. boylii
    • Orizaba deer mouse – P. beatae
    • Carleton's deer mouse – P. carletoni<ref name=Bradley2014>Template:Cite journal</ref>
    • Ensink's deer mouse – P. ensinki<ref name=Bradley2024>Template:Cite journal</ref>
    • Greenbaum's deer mouse – P. greenbaumi<ref name=Bradley2024/>
    • Kilpatrick's deer mouse – P. kilpatricki<ref name=Bradley2017>Template:Cite journal</ref>
    • Nimble-footed mouse – P. levipes
    • Tres Marías Island mouse – P. madrensis
    • Chihuahuan mouse – P. polius
    • La Palma deer mouse – P. sagax
    • Schmidly's deer mouse – P. schmidlyi
    • Nayarit mouse – P. simulus
    • San Esteban Island mouse – P. stephani
  • truei group
    • Pinyon mouse – P. truei
    • Texas mouse – P. attwateri
    • Perote mouse - P. bullatus
    • Zacatecan deer mouse or southern rock mouse – P. difficilis
    • Osgood's mouse – P. gratus
    • Northern white-ankled mouse – P. laceianus<ref name=Bradley2015>Template:Cite journal</ref>
    • Northern rock mouse – P. nasutus
    • El Carrizo deer mouse – P. ochraventer
    • Southern white-ankled mouse – P. pectoralis
  • melanophrys group
    • Plateau mouse – P. melanophrys
    • Puebla deer mouse – P. mekisturus – possibly extinct
    • Tawny deer mouse – P. perfulvus
  • furvus group
    • Blackish deer mouse – P. furvus
    • Wide-rostrum deer mouse – P. latirostris<ref name=Avila-Valle2012>Template:Cite journal</ref>
  • megalops group
    • Brown deer mouse – P. megalops
    • Black-wristed deer mouse – P. melanocarpus - assignment to the species group tentative
    • Black-tailed mouse – P. melanurus
  • mexicanus group
    • Mexican deer mouse – P. mexicanus
    • Baker's deer mouse – P. bakeri<ref name=Alvarez-Castaneda2019/>
    • Carol Patton's deer mouse – P. carolpattonae<ref name=Alvarez-Castaneda2019>Template:Cite journal</ref>
    • Gardner's deer mouse – P. gardneri<ref name=Lorenzo2016>Template:Cite journal</ref>
    • Big deer mouse – P. grandis
    • Guatemalan deer mouse – P. guatemalensis
    • Naked-eared deer mouse – P. gymnotis
    • Maya mouse – P. mayensis
    • Talamancan deer mouse – P. nudipes<ref name=Perez-Consuegra2015/>
    • Nicaraguan deer mouse – P. nicaraguae<ref name=Perez-Consuegra2015/>
    • Salvadoran deer mouse – P. salvadorensis<ref name=Perez-Consuegra2015/>
    • Stirton's deer mouse – P. stirtoni
    • Chimoxan deer mouse – P. tropicalis<ref name=Perez-Consuegra2015>Template:Cite journal</ref>
    • Yucatán deer mouse – P. yucatanicus
    • Chiapan deer mouse – P. zarhynchus

External links

• The song of the deer mouse
• Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center (University of South Carolina)
• Deer Mice Fact Sheet from the National Pest Management Association—with information on habits, habitat and health threats
• Hantavirus at the Washington State Department of Health
• Peromyscus photos