Name
- Common name: Meadow Jumping Mouse
- Including: Western Jumping Mouse
- Scientific name: Zapus hudsonius and Zapus princeps
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Cricetidae
- Indigenous names for this species may be available through the Yukon Native Language Centre.
Also known as
Hudson Bay Jumping Mouse, Kangaroo Mouse
Viewing opportunities
- The best way to glimpse a jumping mouse is to walk by brushy lakeshores and streambanks of the southern Yukon.
- Watch for movement in the grasses as the mice jump out of your way. They are well camouflaged and can be difficult to spot.
- Their numbers are cyclic and some years are better than others.
Description
- Slightly larger than a North American Deermouse.
- Tawny coloured brown fur.
- Long back legs.
- Kangaroo-like enlarged hind-feet.
- Extremely long furred tail.
Fast facts
- Length: 20 cm
- Weight: 12 to 30 g
- Lifespan: unknown
- Predators: Birds of prey, foxes, weasels, Northern Pike
- Habitat: Boreal Forest
Conservation status
- Yukon: S5 (Secure)
- Global: G5 (Secure)
Yukon population estimate
Not determined.
Behaviour
Jumping mice are characterized by the great distances they cover in a jump. They will normally hop along like a kangaroo, but can leap several feet when startled. They are also superb swimmers and divers, kicking like frogs through the water. They are among the few species of northern mice that truly hibernate.
Diet
Seeds and berries.
Distribution
The Western Jumping Mouse is very rare in the Yukon and only found in the extreme southeastern portions along the border with British Columbia.
Sights and sounds
Meadow Jumping Mouse track, front: 1 x 0.6 cm.
Meadow Jumping Mouse track, hind: 2.5 x 0.6 cm.