Peromyscus

The deer mouse came to the attention of the public when it was discovered to be the primary reservoir species for Sin Nombre hantavirus.^[4][6][7]

A recent study in British Columbia of 218 deer mice showed 30% (66) were seropositive for Borrelia burgdorferi,^[8] the agent of Lyme disease.

Ehrlichiosis and babesiosis are also carried by the deer mouse.^[2]

While wild populations are sometimes studied,^[9] Peromyscus species are also easy to breed and keep in captivity, although they are more energetic and difficult to handle than the relatively more tame M. musculus. For certain studies, they are also favored over the laboratory mouse (M. musculus domestica) and the laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus domestica). Apart from their importance in studying infectious diseases, Peromyscus species are useful for studying phylogeography, speciation, chromosomes, genetics, ecology, population genetics, conservation^[10] and evolution in general. They are also useful for researching repetitive-movement disorders.^{[11][12][13][14]} Their use in aging research is because Peromyscus spp., despite being of similar size to the standard laboratory mouse, have maximum lifespans of 5–7 years, compared to the 3-year maximum lifespan of ad libitum-fed laboratory strains or wild-caught M. musculus.^[2]

The Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center at the University of South Carolina was established by Professor Wallace Dawson in 1985 to raise animals of the peromyscine species for research and educational use. This institute maintains populations of several different species (including Peromyscus californicus, Peromyscus maniculatus, Peromyscus melanophrys, Peromyscus eremicus, and Peromyscus aztecus). A variety of mutations affecting their behavior, biochemistry, and the color of their coats is exhibited in these genetic lines.

• Peromyscus
  • californicus group
    • California deermouse – P. californicus
  • eremicus group
    • Cactus mouse – P. eremicus
    • Burt's deer mouse– P. caniceps
    • Dickey's deer mouse – P. dickeyi
    • Eva's desert mouse – P. eva
    • Northern Baja deer mouse– P. fraterculus
    • Angel Island mouse – P. guardia – possibly extinct
      • P. g. guardia – last seen 1991
      • P. g. mejiae – extinct (1973)
      • P. g. harbisoni – extinct (1963)
      • P. guardia subsp. indet. from Estanque Island – extinct (1998)
    • San Lorenzo mouse – P. interparietalis
    • Mesquite mouse – P. merriami
    • Pemberton's deer mouse – P. pembertoni – extinct (1931)
    • False canyon mouse – P. pseudocrinitus
  • hooperi group
    • Hooper's mouse – P. hooperi
  • crinitus group
    • Canyon mouse – P. crinitus
  • maniculatus group
    • Eastern deer mouse − P. maniculatus
    • Yukon deer mouse – P. arcticus^[15]
    • Gambel's deer mouse – P. gambelii^[16]
    • Northwestern deer mouse – P. keeni
    • Southern deer mouse – P. labecula^[16]
    • Black-eared mouse – P. melanotis
    • †Giant island deer mouse – P. nesodytes – extinct
    • Oldfield mouse or beach mouse – P. polionotus
      • P. p. allophrys
      • P. p. ammobates
      • Pallid beach mouse P. p. decoloratus – extinct (1959)
      • P. p. leucocephalus
      • P. p. niveiventris
      • P. p. peninsularis
      • Anastasia Island beach mouse P. p. phasma
      • P. p. trissyllepsis
    • Santa Cruz mouse – P. sejugis
    • Slevin's mouse – P. slevini
    • Western deer mouse – P. sonoriensis^[16]
  • leucopus group
    • White-footed mouse– P. leucopus
    • Cotton mouse– P. gossypinus
      • Key Largo cotton mouse P. g. allapaticola
      • †Chadwick Beach cotton mouse P. g. restrictus – extinct (1938)
  • aztecus group
    • Aztec mouse – P. aztecus
    • Transvolcanic deer mouse – P. hylocetes
    • Oaxacan deer mouse – P. oaxacensis
    • Gleaning mouse – P. spicilegus
    • Winkelmann's mouse – P. winkelmanni
  • boylii group
    • Brush mouse – P. boylii
    • Orizaba deer mouse – P. beatae
    • Carleton's deer mouse – P. carletoni^[17]
    • Kilpatrick's deer mouse – P. kilpatricki^[18]
    • Nimble-footed mouse – P. levipes
    • Tres Marías Island mouse – P. madrensis
    • Chihuahuan mouse – P. polius
    • La Palma deer mouse – P. sagax
    • Schmidly's deer mouse – P. schmidlyi
    • Nayarit mouse – P. simulus
    • San Esteban Island mouse – P. stephani
  • truei group
    • Pinyon mouse – P. truei
    • Texas mouse – P. attwateri
    • Perote mouse - P. bullatus
    • Zacatecan deer mouse or southern rock mouse – P. difficilis
    • Osgood's mouse – P. gratus
    • Northern white-ankled mouse – P. laceianus^[19]
    • Northern rock mouse – P. nasutus
    • El Carrizo deer mouse – P. ochraventer
    • Southern white-ankled mouse – P. pectoralis
  • melanophrys group
    • Plateau mouse – P. melanophrys
    • Puebla deer mouse – P. mekisturus – possibly extinct
    • Tawny deer mouse – P. perfulvus
  • furvus group
    • Blackish deer mouse – P. furvus
    • Wide-rostrum deer mouse – P. latirostris^[20]
  • megalops group
    • Brown deer mouse – P. megalops
    • Zempoaltepec – P. melanocarpus - assignment to the species group tentative
    • Black-tailed mouse – P. melanurus
  • mexicanus group
    • Mexican deer mouse – P. mexicanus
    • Baker's deer mouse – P. bakeri^[21]
    • Carol Patton's deer mouse – P. carolpattonae^[21]
    • Gardner's deer mouse – P. gardneri^[22]
    • Big deer mouse – P. grandis
    • Guatemalan deer mouse – P. guatemalensis
    • Naked-eared deer mouse – P. gymnotis
    • Maya mouse – P. mayensis
    • Talamancan deer mouse – P. nudipes^[23]
    • Nicaraguan deer mouse – P. nicaraguae^[23]
    • Salvadoran deer mouse – P. salvadorensis^[23]
    • Stirton's deer mouse – P. stirtoni
    • Chimoxan deer mouse – P. tropicalis^[23]
    • Yucatán deer mouse – P. yucatanicus
    • Chiapan deer mouse – P. zarhynchus

• The song of the deer mouse
• Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center (University of South Carolina)
• Deer Mice Fact Sheet from the National Pest Management Association—with information on habits, habitat and health threats
• Hantavirus at the Washington State Department of Health
• Peromyscus photos