Myodes gapperi

photo credit: Northwoods Stewardship Center

 

ID

  • Reddish colored with a broad rusty-red dorsal band, though species in Northern New England are said to be more ocherous
  • Small eyes
  • Prominent ears
  • Pale gray underparts (Whitaker)

Distribution

 Credit: Smithsonian Institution

Reproduction

  • Breeding happens from late winter or very early spring until late in the fall
  • Gestation takes 17-19 days and litters are usually between 2 and 8 young
  • Males don’t seem to help with caring for the young, but they continue to live with the female until the young are older
  • Individuals are capable of breeding at 2 to 4 months old (Whitaker)

Behavior

  • Shares already-made burrows with other small animals or uses fallen leaves as shelter
  • Can be active at any time of the day, but tends to be nocturnal in warmer weather and diurnal in colder
  • Can climb (Whitaker)

Food Habits

  • Nuts, seeds, berries, green vegetation, succulent roots, and fungi
  • Stored food for winter when preferred foods become unavailable (Whitaker)

Size/Life Cycle

  • Average measurements: 116-172 mm (total length), 6-42 g (total weight) (Smithsonian)

Predators

  • Short-tailed weasels, hawks, marten (Whitaker)

Habitat

  • Cool, shaded woods, moss-covered boulders, alpine summits, aspen meadows.