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Federally Threatened Species
Description
The Preble's meadow jumping mouse has a distinct dark, broad stripe on its back running from head to tail, bordered on either side by gray to orange-brown fur. The fur on its underside is white and much finer in texture than the coarse hair on its back. The total length of an adult Preble's is approximately 8 to 10 inches, with more than 60% of its length in its tail.
Rather than migrating, the Preble's is a true hibernator, usually for 7 or 8 months between September or October and May. After emerging from hibernation, the mouse eats primarily insects and fungus; its diet then shifts to fungus, moss, and pollen during mid-summer, with insects again added in September. The Preble's is long-lived for a small mammal, especially in comparison with many species of mice and voles that seldom live a full year.
Image by Danielle Jolette
Habitat Role
The Preble’s meadow jumping mouse lives primarily in heavily vegetated riparian habitats, but may also use adjoining uplands. They prefer low undergrowth consisting of grasses and forbs in open wet meadows and riparian corridors; they also favor lowlands with medium to high moisture over drier uplands and are most common in lush vegetation along watercourses or in herbaceous understories in wooded areas.
Habitat loss and degradation caused by agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial development have shrunk or eliminated populations of the Preble's meadow jumping mouse. Urban development has been the primary driver of habitat loss in Colorado.
History in Douglas County
In Douglas County, the mouse has been located in or near many drainages, including tributaries and the main stream reaches, of East and West Plum Creek, Cherry Creek, and South Platte River. However, any stream reach or potential habitat within Douglas County may be subject to the requirements of the Endangered Species Act. At this time, the Fish and Wildlife Service considers areas within the Riparian Conservation Zone (RCZ) to be an approximation of potential habitat for the mouse on non-Federal lands within Douglas County.
In 2010, the US Fish and Wildlife Service expanded the range of designated Critical Habitat within Douglas County. While Critical Habitat and the RCZ have significant overlap, they are distinct. There are slight differences in the Federal rules and regulations that apply to each category of habitat. The mouse has also been found in Boulder, Elbert, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties and in parts of Wyoming; the Fish and Wildlife Service has different definitions of potential mouse habitat outside Douglas County.
For more information about the Preble's meadow jumping mouse conservation in Colorado visit:
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