Western Jumping Mouse
Zapus princeps
Appearance
Western jumping mice have large hind legs and a band of dark fur on their back. Like other rodents, they have a long tail and a pointed face. Smaller than most rats, the western jumping mice measure up to 25 centimetres in length.
Range & Habitat
They have quite a large range extending in Canada from southern Yukon to south-western Manitoba. Jumping mice are also common in the U.S. from California east to Montana and New Mexico. Because owls and foxes are their predators, these mice like to live under thickets, bushes, and in dense grasslands where they are hard to find.
Reciprocal relationships
Western jumping mice hibernate during the winter and spend most of their days in the summer building up fat reserves for this dormant period. Seeds, leaves, and insects like spiders, centipedes, and crustaceans provide the high-fat and high-energy foods these mice need to survive. When they eat seeds, they spread them to new areas through their feces. This can help contribute to a more biodiverse ecosystem.
They forage mainly at night. When scared from their hiding place, the western jumping mice will make a series of jumps and then remain still in a new hiding spot to confuse predators. Owls, weasels, foxes, and skunks all like to eat this furry rodent. Because their populations are strong, they make up key components of these animals’ diets.
Jumping mice can have up to three litters a year, starting directly after the snowmelt in the spring. Each litter has three to nine young that weigh less than a gram each. Even though their populations are stable, habitat destruction alongside rivers and streams is the main threat faced by these important mammals.
They forage mainly at night. When scared from their hiding place, the western jumping mice will make a series of jumps and then remain still in a new hiding spot to confuse predators. Owls, weasels, foxes, and skunks all like to eat this furry rodent. Because their populations are strong, they make up key components of these animals’ diets.
Jumping mice can have up to three litters a year, starting directly after the snowmelt in the spring. Each litter has three to nine young that weigh less than a gram each. Even though their populations are stable, habitat destruction alongside rivers and streams is the main threat faced by these important mammals.
More information
If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca.
