Napaeozapus insignis

photo credit: NorthWoods Stewardship Center

ID

  • Similar to Meadow Jumping Mouse, but with a white tail tip, and brighter reddish-yellow colors.

Distribution

 Credit: Smithsonian Institution

Reproduction

  • Gestation is 29 days and litter size is three to six young
  • Young are born in late June or early July and some mice have a second litter in August (Whitaker)

Behavior

  • Primarily nocturnal
  • Will sometimes use the burrows of other animals, rotting logs, fallen trees, root structures as shelter
  • Extremely powerful jumper, up to 3 to 4 meters
  • Hibernate for 6 months of the year (Whitaker)

Food Habits

  • Fungi, butterfly larvae, fruit, beetles, seeds (Whitaker)

Size/Life Cycle

  • Average measurements: 233 mm (total length), 14-31 g (total weight) (Smithsonian)

Predators

  • Skunks, weasels, mink, bobcat, owns, timber rattlesnake, copperhead (Whitaker)

Habitat

  • Northern or cool, moist woodlands