Order RodentiaFamily Cricetidae

• Diastema• 1 pair incisors• Ears shorter than tail• Eyes, ears visible• Tail with fur, or

laterally flattened; not bushy

• Tail shorter than head and body

Peromyscus leucopus

Onychomys leucogaster

Identification: Stocky body; thick tail with blunt tip; dorsum brownish; venter white; molars cuspidate

Distribution: West, southeast Iowa

Habitat: Prairies; burrow in grassy areas; need bare areas for dustbathing

Onychomys leucogasterDiet: Invertebrates, carrion,

herbaceous vegetation, seeds

Reproduction: Multiple litters of 1-6 annually

Conservation: Rare (formerly Endangered); possibly adapting to agriculture and increasing

Reithrodontomys megalotis

Identification: Long bicolored tail; fur bristly, short; dorsum yellow-brown to gray; venter white; upper incisor face grooved

Distribution: Statewide

Habitat: Grassy habitats; spherical nest of grasses, fibers, down

Reithrodontomys megalotis

Diet: Seeds, grains, herbaceous vegetation; some invertebrates

Reproduction: Up to 14

litters of 1-9 annually

Conservation: Fairly common

Peromyscus leucopusIdentification: Large eyes; fur not very bristly; incisors lack grooves; bicolored tail in winter; dorsum brown to gray; dorsum white (TL 160-200)

Distribution: Statewide

Habitat: Tall weedy, brushy, wooded habitat

Peromyscus leucopus

Diet: Nuts, seeds, berries, invertebrates

Reproduction: Several

litters of 1-7 annually

Conservation: Common

Other: Carrier of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

Synaptomys cooperiIdentification: Small eyes, ears; tail about same length as hind foot; face of upper incisors grooved; dorsum usually brownish; venter grayish brown

Distribution: Formerly statewide; presently poorly known

Habitat: Wet grassy areas

Synaptomys cooperi

Diet: Leaves, grasses, twigs, roots, fungi, mosses, ferns

Reproduction: Multiple litters of 2-6

Conservation: Threatened; few recent records

Clethrionomys gapperi

Identification: Small eyes, ears; dorsum with reddish stripe flanked by gray; venter grayish to white

Distribution: Northern Iowa

Habitat: Cold, moist forests and open wet areas; tunnel under logs

Clethrionomys gapperiDiet: Nuts, seeds, berries,

herbaceous vegetation, some invertebrates

Reproduction: Multiple litters of 2-10

Conservation: Endangered; likely survives only in Pilot Knob State Park, Hancock County

Microtus pinetorumIdentification: Small eyes

and ears; tail longer than hind foot, and up to 29 mm; fur soft and velvety; dorsum reddish to reddish brown

Distribution: Statewide

Habitat: Old-growth forest

Microtus pinetorumDiet: Nuts, seeds, roots,

grasses, bark

Reproduction: Multiple litters of up to 3 young

Conservation: Uncommon

Microtus ochrogaster

Identification: Small eyes and ears; tail usually > 29 mm; fur long and coarse; dorsum brown to gray with salt-and-pepper appearance; venter usually yellowish; tail somewhat bicolored; molars with 5,4,4 islands of dentine

Distribution: Statewide

Habitat: Dry, grassy areas

Molars

Microtus ochrogasterDiet: Green vegetation, roots,

seeds, bark

Reproduction: Multiple litters of 1-7

Conservation: Generally common, uncommon in east Iowa; probably declining due to agriculture

Microtus pennsylvanicus

Identification: Small eyes, ears; tail usually longer than 29 mm; fur soft; dorsum brown to gray with salt-and-pepper appearance; venter usually gray; 3 molars with 5,5,5-6 islands of dentine

Distribution: Statewide

Habitat: Moist grassy areas

Molars

Microtus pennsylvanicusDiet: Green vegetation, seeds

Reproduction: Multiple litters of 1-11

Conservation: Very abundant; probably increasing; densities may reach 100 per acre

Order RodentiaFamily CricetidaeOndatra zibethicus

picture by Mark F. Wallner

Ondatra zibethicus•25-36 cm long

•Tail 20-28 cm

•Shoulder height 13 cm

•908-1816 g

Plump, rat shaped body

Entire body covered with fur, feet and tail hairless

Small ears and eyes hidden within fur

Hind feet partially webbed

Tail scaly, black and flattened vertically

Ondatra zibethicus

•Skull contains 16 teeth

•4 large incisors (2cm)

•Used for cutting plant material

Dental Formula

1-1-0-0-0-03-3

Ondatra zibethicus•North America 1.8 mil years ago

•One of most widely distributed

•Require marshy area salt/freshwater

•Water depth 1-2 m

•Cattails, pondweeds, and bulrushes

•Food and nest material

•In prime habitat, 25/ acre

Ondatra zibethicus

• Crepuscular organism

• Feeds mainly on aquatic vegetation

• Build dens of cattails, reeds and mud

• Important waterfowl nesting habitat

• 1982-83 about 7 million muskrats trapped

• Fur yielded a profit of 28 million dollars

Ondatra zibethicusreferences

• Jones, J. Knoox, Jr. and Elmer C. Birney. 1988. Handbook of Mammals of the North-central states. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. 346 pp. ISBN 0-8166- 1420-2

• Kays, Roland and Don E. Wilson. 2002. Mammals of North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 240 pp. ISBN 0-691-07012-1

• Willner, G.R.,G.A. Feldhamer, E.E. Zucker, and J.A. Chapman. 1980. Ondatra zibethicus. Mamm. Species, 141:1-8

Peromyscus maniculatusbairdii

Deer mouseSara Eubanks

A ECL 364

Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii: deer mouseSara Eubanks

• Identification: smallest Peromyscus in north central region, dorsum dark, grayish brown, ventral white, tail distinctly bicolored, dark on top and white on bottom tipped with a tuft of short, stiff hairs. (TL 125-160, tail 42-65, hind foot 15-19, ear 13-15, weight 12-25 g)

www.yahoo.com

www.bear-tracker.com

Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii• Habitat: Open, except in

woodlands and wet, swampy lowlands. Thrives in grassy areas, weedy fields, along overgrown fencerows and roadsides.

• Diet: omnivorous; eat insects, invertebrates, and seeds; get most of water from dew and water in their food.

www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1.peromani.htm

Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii

• Distribution: statewide

• Reproduction: several litters annually of 1-11 offspring, usually 4-6. Nests are constructed below ground level in a burrow dug by occupant or abandoned by another small animal. Young are weaned at 3 weeks and can breed at 5 to 6 weeks old.

Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii

• Conservation status: Abundant; densities can reach 11 mice per acre depending on habitat.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Peromyscus_

maniculatus.html.

Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii

• Other: Host of a strain of hantavirus called Sin Nombre virus (also called Four Corners or Muerto Canyon virus). This causes fatal disease in humans termed pulmonary syndrome

• Nocturnal

• In winter, ten or more of mixed sexes huddle together in nests to conserve heat.

Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii

• References

• Bunker, A. 2001. "Peromyscus maniculatus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 26, 2004 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Peromyscus_maniculatus.html.

• Kays, R.W. and D.E. Wilson. 2002. The Mammals of North America. Princeton University press, Princeton, New Jersey.

• Jones, J.K. and E.C. Birney. 1988. Handbook of Mammals of the North-central States. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.

• http://www.wildwnc.org/af/deermouse.html