Demography of the Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius) in Eastern Massachusetts
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Date
1983
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Abstract
The meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius) was live-trapped for 5 years in eastern Massachusetts. Densities were low throughout the study, with yearly peak numbers ranging from 3.1-7.5 per ha. Female jumping mice reached sexual maturity at a weight heavier than males. Survival rates were low, but this could be attributed largely to a high degree of transiency; once mice achieved residency, loss rates were low. Demographic attributes of this population of Zapus were compared with populations of the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) in eastern Massachusetts. The most important differences between Zapus, which hibernates, and the two nonhibernating species were in the life span and survival of residents and the length of the breeding season. We suggest that some demographic classifications of zapodids may have been premature.
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The American midland Naturalist 112 (2)