Preble's meadow jumping mouse (''Zapus hudsonius preblei'') is a subspecies of

meadow jumping mouse The meadow jumping mouse (''Zapus hudsonius'') is the most widely distributed mouse in the family Zapodidae. Its range extends from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Great Plains west, and from the arctic tree lines in Canada and Alaska to t ...

, endemic to the upland habitats of

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

and

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

in North America. It is found nowhere else in the world. It is listed as Threatened under the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting and conserving imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of e ...

; there is a major debate about whether it is a valid

taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...

Description

The mouse is around nine inches long, 60% of which is the tail, and can jump in bounds of four feet when threatened. It usually travels slowly. It swims and climbs grass stems. It has long hind legs and a long, slender, scaly tail that it uses to

communicate Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not only transmit ...

by making drumming noises. It also communicates using clucks and chirps. The mice are born without hair (naked) and live nearly two years. They

hibernate Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic reduction entered by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It is most ...

an estimated 7–8 months - from September or October through late May or early June - building themselves a soft vegetation nest, typically at a location with a northerly aspect. The Colorado

breeding season Seasonal breeders are animal species that successfully mate only during certain times of the year. These times of year allow for the optimization of survival of young due to factors such as ambient temperature, food and water availability, and ch ...

is believed to be June through August, with two litters - in July and August - but there are records of three litters in a season. The average litter size is five, but can range from two to eight. Meadow jumping mice like to eat mostly plants, insects, spiders, and slugs.

Health

In June 1998, a preble's meadow jumping mouse was found with a case of

Myiasis Myiasis ( ), also known as flystrike or fly strike, is the parasitic infestation of the body of a live animal by fly larvae (maggots) that grow inside the host while feeding on its Biological tissue, tissue. Although flies are most commonly attr ...

. The mouse had been parasitized by five grey flesh flies. It is the first report of grey flesh fly Myiasis from the natural wildlife of Colorado.

Habitat

The Preble's meadow jumping mouse has been documented in eleven Wyoming and Colorado counties, as far north as Wyoming's Converse to Colorado's El Paso in the south. In Colorado, known habitat areas include the

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge The Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in the United States, located approximately northwest of Denver, Colorado. The refuge is situated west of the cities of Broomfield and Westminster and north of the city of ...

, South Boulder Creek and the St. Vrain Valley. Since the devastating

2013 floods A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrology and are of significant conce ...

, the mouse has no longer been observed at Rocky Flats; in 2017, surveyors put out 200 traps a night for a week and caught no mice in an area where they had previously caught an average of 44. While South Boulder Creek populations are in decline, St. Vrain Creek mice are doing much better; post-flood restoration has enhanced the habitat with shrubs and trees.

References

External links

Federal Source
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7239377 Zapus