Pacific Jumping Mouse

About the Pacific Jumping Mouse

The Pacific jumping mouse (Zapus trinotatus) is a species of rodent in the family Zapodidae. Found in Canada and the United States, its natural habitats are temperate grassland and swamps. Pacific jumping mice can be distinguished from other rodents that belong to the same genus by their larger size. They have a distinct color separation between the back and underside. Other distinctive features of the Pacific jumping mouse, especially in contrast to the Western jumping mouse, include ears fringed with light brown fur or with fur that matches the back.

These rodents prefer to live in moist habitats and are frequently found in riparian or meadow areas near rivulets. They rely on grass seeds as their main diet, and thus they prefer inhabiting areas with thick vegetation, which provide refuge from predators as well as food resources. Besides eating grass, they feed also on fungi and insects. They spend most of the autumn season fattening up in preparation for winter hibernation, which is spent in small burrows in the ground. When their hibernation period of up to 8 months is over, they mate and produce a litter of 4 or more young. Pacific jumping mice have many predators... Wikipedia →