The ecology of the deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus in a coastal coniferous forest. I. Population dynamics

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Petticrew ◽  
R. M. F. S. Sadleir
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Population Parameters ◽  
Male Behavior ◽  
Mature Forest ◽  
Live Trapping ◽  
Breeding Seasons

A 3-year live-trapping study of deer mice was carried out on separate 1-hectarc (ha) grids located in a mature forest, a recently logged area, and a young plantation. Despite apparent gross differences in the habitats, populations on the recently logged area were similar in numbers, survival, and recruitment to those in the mature forest. There were greater differences in population parameters between years than between these two areas. Populations of deer mice in the young plantation were lower in numbers and eventually went to extinction in the summer of 1970. This appeared to be due rather to the presence of numerous Microtus oregoni in this area than to the habitat being less suitable for deer mice.On the basis of this and previous studies it is proposed that the numbers of deer mice in a population are regulated as follows. During breeding seasons the numbers of males and juveniles are regulated by agonistic male behavior while the numbers of females may be a function of the length of the breeding season. During non-breeding seasons the changes in numbers of all deer mice are regulated by the length of such seasons.

The ecology of the deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus in a coastal coniferous forest. II. Reproduction

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. F. S. Sadleir
Keyword(s):  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Breeding Condition ◽  
Breeding Seasons

The duration and intensity of reproduction in deer mice was followed for four seasons by live and dead trapping. Three populations living in different types of forest habitat had synchronous breeding seasons, although there were major differences between years in the time of onset and cessation of breeding and in the proportion of females in breeding condition. No consistent relationships were found between either density changes or the incidence of parasitism and reproductive phenology. In the absence of overt food fluctuations there was a relationship between unseasonable temperature changes and breeding. Sudden increases in temperature may have stimulated the onset of breeding but its cessation before the autumn equinox was always associated with a considerable decrease in temperature if this occurred after April. In 57 pregnancies the corpora lutea count was 4.75 ± 1.12 and embryo count was 4.52 ± 1.16. [Formula: see text].

Demographic responses of small mammal populations to a herbicide application in coastal coniferous forest: population density and resiliency

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 874-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Small Mammal Species ◽  
Demographic Responses

This study was designed to assess the demographic responses of small mammal populations to herbicide-induced habitat alteration in a 7-year-old Douglas-fir plantation near Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. Populations of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), Oregon vole (Microtus oregoni), Townsend chipmunk (Eutamias townsendii), and shrews (Sorex spp.) were sampled in control and treatment habitats from April 1981 to September 1983 and from April to October 1985. Recolonization of removal areas by these species was also monitored in both habitats. There was little difference in abundance of deer mice, Oregon voles, and shrews between control and treatment study areas. Chipmunk populations appeared to decline temporarily on the treatment areas relative to controls. Recolonization by voles was not affected by habitat change, but for deer mice was lower on the treatment than control area. Both deer mouse and Oregon vole populations were at comparable densities on control and treatment areas in the second and fourth years after herbicide treatment. The proportion of breeding animals and average duration of life were similar in control and treatment populations of deer mice and voles. These small mammal species should be able to persist in areas of coastal coniferous forest that are treated with herbicide for conifer release.

The ecology of the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, in a coastal coniferous forest. III. Stomach-weight variation

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 1311-1315 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Harling ◽  
R. M. F. S. Sadleir
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Distribution ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Peromyscus Maniculatus ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Full Stomach ◽  
Weight Variation ◽  
Consumption Rates ◽  
Stomach Weight

The frequency distribution of over 600 stomach weights of deer mice showed considerable variation and was highly skewed. Because of the difficulty of defining a "full" stomach, it was not possible to use the weights of stomachs sampled to estimate consumption rates. There were no significant seasonal changes in mean stomach weights over a 3-year study and no relationship between stomach weights and sexual condition was found.

Population Dynamics of Deer Mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, and Yellow-pine Chipmunks, Tamias amoenus, in Old Field and Orchard Habitats

2004 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan ◽  
Druscilla S. Sullivan ◽  
Eugene J. Hogue
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Peromyscus Maniculatus ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Detailed Comparison ◽  
Rodent Species ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Old Field ◽  
Tamias Amoenus ◽  
Yellow Pine ◽  
Mammal Communities

There are often several rodent species included in the small mammal communities in orchard agro-ecosystems. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the population levels of Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and Yellow-pine Chipmunks (Tamias amoenus) would be enhanced in old field compared with orchard habitats. Rodent populations were intensively livetrapped in replicate old field and orchard sites over a four-year period at Summerland, British Columbia, Canada. Deer Mouse populations were, on average, significantly higher (2.5 – 3.4 times) in the old field than orchard sites in summer and winter periods. Mean numbers/ha of Deer Mice ranged from 12.1 to 60.4 in old field sites and from 3.3 to 19.9 in orchard sites. Breeding seasons in orchards were significantly longer than those in old field sites, in terms of proportion of reproductive male Deer Mice. Recruitment of new animals and early juvenile survival of Deer Mice were similar in orchard and old field sites. Populations of Yellow-pine Chipmunks ranged in mean abundance/ha from 5.6 – 19.0 in old field sites and from 1.9 – 17.5 on one orchard site, with no difference in mean abundance in 2 of 4 years of the study. Recruitment and mean survival of Yellow-pine Chipmunks also followed this pattern. This study is the first detailed comparison of the population dynamics of these rodent species in old field and orchard habitats. These species should be able to maintain their population levels and help contribute to a diversity of small mammals in this agrarian landscape.

Sexual maturity, factors affecting the breeding season and breeding in consecutive seasons in populations of overabundant Victorian koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha McLean ◽  
Kathrine A. Handasyde
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Population Parameters ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Reproductive Patterns ◽  
South West

It is important to have knowledge of basic population parameters to understand how these vary geographically and temporally and how they contribute to population dynamics. This paper investigates three of these parameters in Victorian koala populations: sexual maturity, aspects of the breeding season, and the continuity of individuals’ breeding. The investigation was carried out in koalas of known-age in two free-living (Redbill Creek on French Island and Brisbane Ranges) and one semi-captive (the Koala Conservation Centre on Phillip Island) population as well as koalas of unknown age in four Victorian populations of overabundant koalas: Mt Eccles and Framlingham in south-west Victoria, French Island in Western Port and Snake Island in south Gippsland. At sexual maturity, female koalas had a mean age (±95% confidence interval) of 24.4 months (23.5–25.3 months), a mean head length of 125 mm (124–127 mm) and a mean body mass of 6.6 kg (6.3–6.8 kg). Only 7.4% of independent females (of unknown age) were carrying young when they weighed less than 6 kg. The breeding season was more restricted in the south-west populations. At Framlingham and Mt Eccles 85% and 91% of births, respectively, occurred between December and March. At Snake and French Islands only 46% and 53% of births, respectively, were recorded in the same period. In the Chlamydia-free population (Red Bill Creek) none of the koalas that were monitored stopped breeding and then resumed breeding in a subsequent season whereas many females from Chlamydia-infected populations (Brisbane Ranges and the Koala Conservation Centre) did so. This variation in reproductive patterns is likely to make an important contribution to the variation in the demography observed in different koala populations.

An irruption of deer mice after logging of coastal coniferous forest

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 586-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan ◽  
Charles J. Krebs
Keyword(s):  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Coastal Forest ◽  
Old Field ◽  
Mouse Population ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Undisturbed Forest

This study describes an irruption of Peromyscusmaniculatus after clear-cut logging of a coastal forest. The abundance of deer mice increased seven to eight times above previous levels in an old field habitat adjacent to the clear cut. This outbreak occurred during and after a logging operation in the fall of 1973. Several alternative explanations for this irruption include increased reproduction or reduced mortality in the deer mouse population, immigration of mice from the surrounding undisturbed forest, or immigration of animals from the clear-cut area. We conclude that removal of timber has the capacity to trigger an irruption of deer mice.

scholarly journals Evidence for use of both capital and income breeding strategies in the mangrove tree crab, Aratus pisonii

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade Carver ◽  
Morgan Meidell ◽  
Zachary J. Cannizzo ◽  
Blaine D. Griffen
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
Breeding Strategies ◽  
Mangrove Tree ◽  
Income Breeding ◽  
Aratus Pisonii ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Capital And Income Breeding

AbstractTwo common strategies organisms use to finance reproduction are capital breeding (using energy stored prior to reproduction) and income breeding (using energy gathered during the reproductive period). Understanding which of these two strategies a species uses can help in predicting its population dynamics and how it will respond to environmental change. Brachyuran crabs have historically been considered capital breeders as a group, but recent evidence has challenged this assumption. Here, we focus on the mangrove tree crab, Aratus pisonii, and examine its breeding strategy on the Atlantic Florida coast. We collected crabs during and after their breeding season (March–October) and dissected them to discern how energy was stored and utilized for reproduction. We found patterns of reproduction and energy storage that are consistent with both the use of stored energy (capital) and energy acquired (income) during the breeding season. We also found that energy acquisition and storage patterns that supported reproduction were influenced by unequal tidal patterns associated with the syzygy tide inequality cycle. Contrary to previous assumptions for crabs, we suggest that species of crab that produce multiple clutches of eggs during long breeding seasons (many tropical and subtropical species) may commonly use income breeding strategies.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission in the North American deer mouse

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan D. Griffin ◽  
Mable Chan ◽  
Nikesh Tailor ◽  
Emelissa J. Mendoza ◽  
Anders Leung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
North American ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Lower Respiratory Tract ◽  
Infectious Virus ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
The North ◽  
Wild Deer ◽  
Theoretical Risk

AbstractWidespread circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in humans raises the theoretical risk of reverse zoonosis events with wildlife, reintroductions of SARS-CoV-2 into permissive nondomesticated animals. Here we report that North American deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection following intranasal exposure to a human isolate, resulting in viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tract with little or no signs of disease. Further, shed infectious virus is detectable in nasal washes, oropharyngeal and rectal swabs, and viral RNA is detectable in feces and occasionally urine. We further show that deer mice are capable of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to naïve deer mice through direct contact. The extent to which these observations may translate to wild deer mouse populations remains unclear, and the risk of reverse zoonosis and/or the potential for the establishment of Peromyscus rodents as a North American reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 remains unknown.

Influence of rainfall on population dynamics and survival of a threatened rodent (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) under a drying climate in coastal woodlands of south-eastern Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandy Lock ◽  
Barbara A. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Apparent Decrease ◽  
Mediterranean Systems ◽  
Precipitous Decline ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
Successional Vegetation

In Mediterranean systems, such as south-east Australia, predictions of climate change including lower rainfall and extended drought, threaten vulnerable mammal species. We investigated the relationship between rainfall and population dynamics for a native rodent at risk of extinction, the New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae). In the eastern Otways, the species was significantly influenced by rainfall, exhibiting a population irruption (15–20 individuals ha–1) following six years of above-average rainfall and a precipitous decline to site extinction during subsequent drought. The decline was predominantly related to loss of adults before and during breeding seasons, together with an apparent decrease in juvenile survival. Population abundance was positively correlated with a rainfall lag of 0–9 months. We propose that the response of this omnivore to high rainfall was mediated through increased productivity and that rainfall decline resulted in resource depletion and population decline. Under a drying climate the direct impacts of rainfall decline will continue. However management of other threats may increase the species’ resilience. Burning to provide optimal successional vegetation, protection of refugia, and predator control are priorities. However, burning should be avoided during drought, as the likelihood of local extinctions is substantial.

Tail length evolution in deer mice: linking morphology, behavior and function

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily R Hager ◽  
Hopi E Hoekstra
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Length Variation ◽  
Caudal Vertebrae ◽  
Long Tails ◽  
And Function

Abstract Determining how variation in morphology affects animal performance (and ultimately fitness) is key to understanding the complete process of evolutionary adaptation. Long tails have evolved many times in arboreal and semi-arboreal rodents; in deer mice, long tails have evolved repeatedly in populations occupying forested habit even within a single species (Peromyscus maniculatus). Here we use a combination of functional modeling, laboratory studies, and museum records to test hypotheses about the function of tail-length variation in deer mice. First, we use computational models, informed by museum records documenting natural variation in tail length, to test whether differences in tail morphology between forest and prairie subspecies can influence performance in behavioral contexts relevant for tail use. We find that the deer mouse tail plays little role in statically adjusting center of mass or in correcting body pitch and yaw, but rather it can affect body roll during arboreal locomotion. In this context, we find that even intraspecific tail-length variation could result in substantial differences in how much body rotation results from equivalent tail motions (i.e., tail effectiveness), but the relationship between commonly-used metrics of tail-length variation and effectiveness is non-linear. We further test whether caudal vertebra length, number, and shape are associated with differences in how much the tail can bend to curve around narrow substrates (i.e., tail curvature) and find that, as predicted, the shape of the caudal vertebrae is associated with intervertebral bending angle across taxa. However, although forest and prairie mice typically differ in both the length and number of caudal vertebrae, we do not find evidence that this pattern is the result of a functional trade-off related to tail curvature. Together, these results highlight how even simple models can both generate and exclude hypotheses about the functional consequences of trait variation for organismal-level performance.

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