Eastern deer mouse

Eastern deer mice are climbers and seed-cachers of mountain forests. They forage at night among rocks and logs and up into shrubs and trees, storing seeds in hidden caches for the winter.

In 2019, genetic work split the animal once called simply the deer mouse into several species; the eastern deer mouse is the woodland form of eastern Canada, the Northeast and the Appalachians.

Deer mice move and bury tree seeds, eat insect pests, and are a staple food for owls, weasels, foxes and snakes in mountain forests.

They are also one of the most studied mammals in biology, used to understand everything from genetics to how burrowing and parenting behaviour evolve.

Breeding — spring to autumn
Gestation — about 22 to 26 days
Litter — usually three to six young
Weaning — at about three to four weeks old
Maturity — at about six to eight weeks old
Lifespan — usually a year or so in the wild

• Deer mice sometimes enter mountain cabins; sealing gaps keeps them out.
• Like other wild rodents, they can carry hantaviruses; clean up droppings wet, with gloves and ventilation, rather than sweeping or vacuuming.
• Poisons harm the owls and foxes that eat mice.

• Deer mice and house mice are the same. Deer mice are native, with big eyes, white bellies and two-coloured tails.
• Only western deer mice carry hantaviruses. Any wild mouse's droppings should be handled with care.

• White-footed mouse
• Cotton mouse
• Woodland jumping mouse