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Home -> Kingdom Animalia -> Phylum Chordata -> Subphylum Vertebrata -> Class Mammalia -> Order Rodentia -> Suborder Myomorpha -> Family Cricetidae -> Subfamily Neotominae -> Species Peromyscus californicus

Peromyscus californicus
California mouse



2009/11/22 04:14:42.022 US/Eastern

By Amy Jess

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Myomorpha
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Neotominae
Genus: Peromyscus
Species: Peromyscus californicus

Geographic Range

Peromyscus californicus is found from San Francisco Bay south and east along the coast ranges and in the eastern Sierra Nevada from Mariposa Co. south to Kern Co. in California south to Bahia San Quintin on the Pacific coast of northwestern Baja California (Bryiski and Harris, 1984; Alvarez-Casteñada and Cortés-Calva, 1999). (Brylski and Harris, 1990)

Biogeographic Regions:
nearctic (native ).

Habitat

Elevation
2440 m (high)
(8003.2 ft)


Peromyscus californicus is generally restricted to dense chaparrel and broad-sclerophyll woodland (Meritt 1974). The limiting factor for its small geographic range may be the need for naturally occurring burrow holes of the proper size for these larger animals (Grinnell and Orr 1934), as they are poor natural burrowers. The co-occurrence of woodrat houses and a distributional association with the California laurel complex have also been noted as potential limiting factors (Meritt 1974), although there is no direct evidence to implicate any of these. (Grinnell and Orr, 1934; Meritt, 1974; Merritt, 1999)

These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
temperate ; terrestrial .

Terrestrial Biomes:
chaparral ; forest .

Physical Description

Mass
33.20 to 54.40 g
(1.17 to 1.91 oz)


Length
220 to 285 mm
(8.66 to 11.22 in)


Basal Metabolic Rate


Peromyscus californicus is the largest species in its genus. Its total length is between 220-285 mm, with tail length ranging from approximately 117-156 mm (Whitaker 1997). It is distinctly bicolored. Adults have a yellowish brown or gray mixed with black dorsal coloring, and a white underside, and feet. Many individuals have a distinctly fulvous throat patch and a fulvous lateral line separating dorsal from ventral pelage in the shoulder region, sometimes extending to the thigh. Juveniles are gray on top with a white underside. The tail matches the dorsal pelage and is not sharply bicolored. The ears are large, ranging from 20-25 mm (Whitaker 1997).

Some key physical features:
endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry .

Reproduction

Breeding interval
Females can have up to 6 litters per year, but 3 to 4 is more typical.

Breeding season
Breeding can occur year round but most breeding occurs from March to September.

Number of offspring
1 to 3; avg. 2

Gestation period
30 to 33 days

Birth Mass
4.46 g (average)
(0.16 oz)
[External Source: AnAge]


Time to weaning
5 weeks (average)

Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
11 weeks (average)

Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
11 weeks (low)

Unlike most mice P. californicus is truly monogamous, and once mated will stay paired for life (McCade and Blanchard 1950; Ribble 1991; Ribble and Salvioni 1990; Guvernick and Nelson 1990). (McCabe and Blanchard, 1950; Ribble, 1992)

Mating systems:
monogamous .

Mating may occur year round, but mainly from March to September. In the lab P. californicus can have up to 6 litters per year, but in the wild the average is 3-4. Gestation is 30 to 33 days and average litter size is 2 (from 1 to 3), with a slight increase in litter size with the age of the female. Compared to other species of Peromyscus, P. californicus young are rather precocious, although weaning is not completed for about 5 weeks. They also have a long period before reaching sexual maturity, approximately 11 weeks for females and even longer for males. (McCabe and Blanchard, 1950)

Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous .

Males help extensively in caring for and protecting the young. (Merritt, 1999)

Parental investment:
altricial ; pre-fertilization (provisioning, protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: male, female, protecting: male, female); pre-independence (provisioning: male, female, protecting: male, female).

Lifespan/Longevity

Typical lifespan (wild)


Average lifespan (captivity)
5.50 years
[External Source: AnAge]


California mice generally live for 9 to 18 months. Populations tend to be fairly stable and at low densities, as compared to other Peromyscus species. (Merritt, 1999)

Behavior

Peromyscus californicus is nocturnal, with a slight activity peak just before dawn (Hudson 1967). Usually a docile mouse, it will actively defend its nest from conspecifics of the same sex. A poor burrower, Peromyscus californicus readily uses woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes) houses for dens, and where found together, P. californicus actively excludes its conspecific P. truei from these woodrat houses (Meritt 1974). They build globular nests out of grasses or sticks, lined with fine grass. California mice are excellent climbers and are often found in trees and shrubs. Males and females form long-term pair bonds and these mice live in small family groups. (Meritt, 1974; Merritt, 1999)

Key behaviors:
arboreal ; scansorial; terricolous; nocturnal ; motile ; sedentary ; social .

Communication and Perception

Like other Peromyscus species, California mice have keen vision and hearing and use chemical cues extensively in communication.

Communicates with:
visual ; chemical .

Perception channels:
visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical .

Food Habits

Peromyscus californicus specializes on the fruits, seeds and flowers of shrubs (Meserve 1976). In woodland habitat the seeds of California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) are the major food (Meritt 1974). Arthropods may make up a small percentage on the diet but these are not actively hunted (Meserve 1976). Water is most likely obtained from the food that it eats and supplimented with dew; P. californicus is not as good at water conservation as other species in the genus (Meritt 1974). (Meritt, 1974; Merritt, 1999; Meserve, 1977)

Primary Diet:
herbivore (frugivore , granivore ).

Animal Foods:
insects.

Plant Foods:
leaves; seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit; flowers.

Predation

Known predators
  • western rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus)
  • barn owls (Tyto alba)

California mice, like other Peromyscus species, are an important prey base for many predators throughout their range. They are preyed on by hawks, owls, rattlesnakes, and small mammalian predators. Their nocturnal and secretive habits help to protect them from many predators.

Anti-predator adaptations::
cryptic .

Ecosystem Roles

California mice are important seed predators in the ecosystems in which they live and they form an important prey base for rattlesnakes, owls, and other predators.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Like other members of Peromyscus, California mice fecal matter may transmit hantavirus.

Ways that these animals might be a problem for humans:
injures humans (carries human disease).

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List: [link]:
Lower Risk - Least Concern.

US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.

CITES: [link]:
No special status.

Despite its relatively narrow habitat, limited geographic range, and generally low population densities, Peromyscus californicus populations remain healthy. (Merritt, 1999)

For More Information

Find Peromyscus californicus information at

Contributors

Amy Jess (author), University of California-Berkeley.
James Patton (editor), University of California-Berkeley. Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

References

Brylski, P., J. Harris. 1990. California's Wildlife Volume III. Sacramento, California: California Department of Fish and Game.

Cranford, J. 1982. The effects of Woodrat houses on population density of Peromyscus. Journal of Mammalogy, 63: 663-666.

Grinnell, J., R. Orr. 1934. Systematic review of the californicus group of the rodent s of the genus Peromyscus. Journal of Mammalogy, 15: 210-220.

McCabe, T., B. Blanchard. 1950. Three species of Peromyscus. Santa Barbara, California: Rood Association.

Meritt, J. 1974. Factors influencing the local distribution of Peromyscus californicus in Northern California. Journal of Mammalogy, 55: 102-113.

Merritt, J. 1999. California mouse. Pp. 565-566 in D.E. Wilson, S. Ruff, eds. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Meserve, P. 1977. Three-dimensional home ranges of cricetid rodents. Journal of Mammalogy, 58: 549-558.

Ribble, D. 1992. Lifetime reproductive success and its correlates in the monogamous rodent, Peromyscus californicus. Journal of Animal Ecology, 61: 457-468.

2009/11/22 04:14:43.594 US/Eastern

To cite this page: Jess, A. 2000. "Peromyscus californicus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 23, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Peromyscus_californicus.html.

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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