The oldfield mouse or beach mouse (''Peromyscus polionotus''), is a nocturnal species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

in the family

Cricetidae The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At almost 608 species, it is the second-largest family of mammals, and h ...

and primarily eats seeds. It lives in holes throughout the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the south ...

in beaches and sandy fields. Predators to these mice include birds and mammals. In 2010, these mice were in the least concern category on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biolo ...

with certain subspecies classified as

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

Distribution and habitat

The oldfield mouse occurs only in the

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the south ...

, ranging from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

. They primarily live in beaches and sandy fields.Whitaker 1998, p. 308

Description

The mouse has fawn-colored upperparts and grey to white underparts through most of its range, but on white sandy beaches, the mouse is light or even white. Inland populations are darker and smaller with shorter tails that are dusky above and white below. General body and tail color may vary slightly depending upon geographical location.

Behavior

The mouse is primarily nocturnal.

Diet

''P. polionotus'' is omnivorous and the principal diet is seasonal seeds of wild grasses and forbs, but blackberries, acorns, and wild peas may be consumed.Wooten

Shelter

These mice dig holes in earth to create homes. Spiders, snakes, and other animals may move into a burrow.Whitaker 1998, p. 308–9

Reproduction

Survival

Birds and mammals prey upon the oldfield mouse. Various types of parasites can effect oldfield mice, with

nematodes The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...

being the main ones.Whitaker 1998, p. 310 One mouse survived in captivity for 5.5 years.''Peromyscus polionotus''

Conservation

In 2010, the beach mouse was in the least concern category on the

. For the beach mouse's subspecies, one is

, one was listed critically endangered, four

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

and two

References

;Footnotes ;Works cited * * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q575053 Peromyscus Mammals described in 1843 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot