Peromyscus
Encyclopedia
The genus Peromyscus contains the animal species commonly referred to as deer mice. This is a genus of New World mouse only distantly related to the common house mouse and laboratory mouse, Mus musculus. Although superficially resembling Mus musculus, Peromyscus have 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".
They are also accomplished jumpers and runners by comparison to house mice, and their common name of "deer mouse" (coined 1833) is in reference to this agility.
The most common species of deer mice in the continental United States
are two closely related species, P. maniculatus
, and P. leucopus. In the USA, Peromyscus is the most populous mammal
ian genus
overall, and has become notorious in the western United States
as a carrier of the hantavirus
.
There is a different mammal
by the name of "Mouse Deer", a relatively primitive ungulate
of minuscule size.
The deer mouse came to the attention of the public when it was discovered to be the primary reservoir species for hantavirus
.
A recent study in British Columbia, of 218 Deer mice showed that 30% (66) were seropositive for B. burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease
.
Ehrlichiosis
, babesiosis
, and bubonic plague
are also carried by the deer mouse.
(Rattus norvegicus) . Apart from their importance in studying infectious diseases, Peromyscus are useful for studying phylogeography
, speciation
, chromosome
s, genetics
, ecology
, population genetics
, and evolution
in general. They are also useful for researching repetitive movement disorders. Their use in aging research results from the fact that Peromyscus spp., despite being of similar size to the standard laboratory mouse, have maximum life spans of 5 to 7 years, vs. the 2 to 3 year maximum life span of ad-libitum fed Mus musculus laboratory strains, or Mus musculus obtained from the wild.
The Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center at the University of South Carolina
was established by Professor Wallace Dawson in 1985 to raise animal
s 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 are exhibited in these genetic lines.
They are also accomplished jumpers and runners by comparison to house mice, and their common name of "deer mouse" (coined 1833) is in reference to this agility.
The most common species of deer mice in the continental United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are two closely related species, P. maniculatus
Peromyscus maniculatus
Peromyscus maniculatus is a rodent native to North America. It is most commonly called the Deer Mouse, although that name is common to most species of Peromyscus and is fairly widespread across the continent, with the major exception being the southeast United States and the far north.Like other...
, and P. leucopus. In the USA, Peromyscus is the most populous mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
ian genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
overall, and has become notorious in the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a carrier of the hantavirus
Hantavirus
Hantaviruses are negative sense RNA viruses in the Bunyaviridae family. Humans may be infected with hantaviruses through rodent bites, urine, saliva or contact with rodent waste products...
.
There is a different mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
by the name of "Mouse Deer", a relatively primitive ungulate
Ungulate
Ungulates are several groups of mammals, most of which use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to sustain their whole body weight while moving. They make up several orders of mammals, of which six to eight survive...
of minuscule size.
Hantavirus
The deer mouse came to the attention of the public when it was discovered to be the primary reservoir species for hantavirus
Hantavirus
Hantaviruses are negative sense RNA viruses in the Bunyaviridae family. Humans may be infected with hantaviruses through rodent bites, urine, saliva or contact with rodent waste products...
.
Lyme Disease
A recent study in British Columbia, of 218 Deer mice showed that 30% (66) were seropositive for B. burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
.
Other Diseases
Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease of dogs usually caused by the organism Ehrlichia canis. Ehrlichia canis is the pathogen of animals. Humans can become infected by E. canis and other species after tick exposure. German Shepherd dogs are thought to be particularly affected by the disease, other...
, babesiosis
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia are thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe...
, and bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
are also carried by the deer mouse.
Use as a laboratory animal
While wild populations are sometimes studied, Peromyscus is also easy to breed and keep in captivity, although they are more energetic and difficult to handle than the relatively more tame lab mouse Mus musculus. For certain studies, Peromyscus is also favoured over the common laboratory mouse (Mus domesticus) and the laboratory ratLaboratory rat
A laboratory rat is a rat of the species Rattus norvegicus which is bred and kept for scientific research. Laboratory rats have served as an important animal model for research in psychology, medicine, and other fields.- Origins :...
(Rattus norvegicus) . Apart from their importance in studying infectious diseases, Peromyscus are useful for studying phylogeography
Phylogeography
Phylogeography is the study of the historical processes that may be responsible for the contemporary geographic distributions of individuals. This is accomplished by considering the geographic distribution of individuals in light of the patterns associated with a gene genealogy.This term was...
, speciation
Speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise. The biologist Orator F. Cook seems to have been the first to coin the term 'speciation' for the splitting of lineages or 'cladogenesis,' as opposed to 'anagenesis' or 'phyletic evolution' occurring within lineages...
, chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
s, genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, population genetics
Population genetics
Population genetics is the study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of the four main evolutionary processes: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation and gene flow. It also takes into account the factors of recombination, population subdivision and population...
, and evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
in general. They are also useful for researching repetitive movement disorders. Their use in aging research results from the fact that Peromyscus spp., despite being of similar size to the standard laboratory mouse, have maximum life spans of 5 to 7 years, vs. the 2 to 3 year maximum life span of ad-libitum fed Mus musculus laboratory strains, or Mus musculus obtained from the wild.
The Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
was established by Professor Wallace Dawson in 1985 to raise animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s of the peromyscine species for research and educational use. This institute maintains populations of several different species (including Peromyscus californicus, Peromyscus maniculatus
Peromyscus maniculatus
Peromyscus maniculatus is a rodent native to North America. It is most commonly called the Deer Mouse, although that name is common to most species of Peromyscus and is fairly widespread across the continent, with the major exception being the southeast United States and the far north.Like other...
, Peromyscus melanophrys, Peromyscus eremicus, and Peromyscus aztecus). A variety of mutations affecting their behavior, biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, and the color of their coats are exhibited in these genetic lines.
Species
- Peromyscus
- californicus group
- California Mouse - Peromyscus californicus
- eremicus group
- Cactus Mouse - Peromyscus eremicus
- Angel Island Mouse - Peromyscus guardia - possibly extinct
- Peromyscus guardia guardia - last seen 1991
- Peromyscus guardia mejiae - extinct (1973)
- Peromyscus guardia harbisoni - extinct (1963)
- Peromyscus guardia subsp. indet. from Estanque Island - extinct (1998)
- San Lorenzo Mouse - Peromyscus interparietalis
- Dickey's Deer Mouse - Peromyscus dickeyi
- False Canyon Mouse - Peromyscus pseudocrinitus
- Eva's Desert Mouse - Peromyscus eva
- Burt's deer Mouse - Peromyscus caniceps
- Mesquite Mouse - Peromyscus merriami
- Pemberton's Deer Mouse - Peromyscus pembertoni - extinct (1931)
- hooperi group
- Hooper's Mouse - Peromyscus hooperi
- crinitus group
- Canyon Mouse - Peromyscus crinitus
- maniculatus group
- Peromyscus maniculatusPeromyscus maniculatusPeromyscus maniculatus is a rodent native to North America. It is most commonly called the Deer Mouse, although that name is common to most species of Peromyscus and is fairly widespread across the continent, with the major exception being the southeast United States and the far north.Like other...
- Peromyscus polionotus
- Peromyscus polionotus allophrys
- Peromyscus polionotus ammobates
- Pallid Beach MousePallid Beach MouseThe Pallid beach mouse or Ponce de Leon Beach Mouse was known from two locations in Florida, Ponce Park, Volusia County and Bulow, Flagler County. No individuals have been seen since 1959. The average Pallid Beach mouse was anywhere from 4 to 8 centimeters in length...
Peromyscus polionotus decoloratus - extinct (1959) - Peromyscus polionotus leucocephalus
- Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris
- Peromyscus polionotus peninsularis
- Peromyscus polionotus phasmaAnastasia Island Beach MouseThe Anastasia Island beach mouse is a subspecies of the oldfield mouse of the southeastern United States. It occurs in the sand dunes of Florida and Alabama beaches...
- Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis
- Santa Cruz Mouse - Peromyscus sejugis
- Northwestern Deer Mouse - Peromyscus keeni
- Peromyscus sitkensis
- Black-Eared Mouse - Peromyscus melanotis
- Peromyscus slevini
- Peromyscus nesodytesPeromyscus nesodytesPeromyscus nesodytes, a “giant” deer mouse, became extinct approximately 8,000 years Before Present and lived during the late Pleistocene on California’s Channel Islands.-Overview:...
- Peromyscus maniculatus
- leucopus group
- White-footed Mouse - Peromyscus leucopus
- Cotton Mouse - Peromyscus gossypinus
- Chadwick Beach Cotton MouseChadwick Beach Cotton MouseThe Chadwick Beach Cotton Mouse is a presumed extinct subspecies of the Cotton Mouse from the genus Peromyscus. It was confined to a small area on the Manasota Key peninsula in Florida....
Peromyscus gossypinus restrictus - extinct (1938)
- Chadwick Beach Cotton Mouse
- aztecus group
- Aztec Mouse - Peromyscus aztecus
- Gleaning Mouse - Peromyscus spicilegus
- Winkelmann's Mouse - Peromyscus winkelmanni
- boylii group
- Brush Mouse - Peromyscus boylii
- Nimble-Footed Mouse - Peromyscus levipes
- Schmidly's deermouse - Peromyscus schmidlyiPeromyscus schmidlyiSchmidly's deermouse, Peromyscus schmidlyi, is a recently described species of deer mouse from the mountains of western Mexico. It is part of the highly complex and well-studied Peromyscus boylii species complex. The uniqueness of Peromyscus from this area had long been suspected, but was only...
- San Esteban Island Mouse - Peromyscus stephani
- Texas Mouse - Peromyscus attwateri
- Nayarit Mouse - Peromyscus simulus
- Peromyscus madrensis
- Peromyscus pectoralis
- Peromyscus polius
- truei group
- Peromyscus truei
- Peromyscus gratus
- Peromyscus bullatus
- Peromyscus difficilis
- Peromyscus nasutus
- melanophrys group
- Peromyscus melanophrys
- Peromyscus perfulvus
- Peromyscus mekisturus
- furvus group
- Peromyscus furvus
- Peromyscus ochraventer
- Peromyscus mayensis
- megalops group
- Peromyscus megalops
- Peromyscus melanurus
- Peromyscus melanocarpus
- mexicanus group
- Peromyscus mexicanus
- Peromyscus gymnotis
- Peromyscus guatemalensis
- Peromyscus zarhynchus
- Peromyscus grandis
- Peromyscus yucatanicus
- Peromyscus stirtoni
- californicus group