deer mouse

noun

1. white-footed mouse.

deer mouse

noun

1. any of various mice of the genus Peromyscus, esp P. maniculatus, of North and Central America, having brownish fur with white underparts: family Cricetidae See also white-footed mouse

Word History and Origins

Origin of deer mouse¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Word History and Origins

Origin of deer mouse¹

so named because of its agility

Example Sentences

Whereas the deer mouse is promiscuous -- even a single litter of pups can have four different fathers -- the oldfield mouse mates for life.

From Science Daily

Even though they are smaller, they prey upon native ground squirrels and deer mice with formidable teeth and claws that are larger than those on the mainland.

From Los Angeles Times

Early data suggest the Andes mice do not have the same genetic alterations that help deer mice living 4350 meters high in the Rocky Mountains cope with the cold, Storz says.

From Science Magazine

Earlier this year the team described how some deer mice, depending on their personality, were more likely than others to cache red oak, white pine and American beech nuts in ways that promoted germination.

From New York Times

There, they can study how deer mice behave when they're the sole occupants and then introduce the mice's main rodent competitors, voles, to see how mouse populations, mouse behavior, and disease prevalence change.

From Salon