A tiny rodent with extraordinarily long hindlegs and tail — can leap 5+ feet. Federally listed since 1998 due to habitat loss along Front Range streams.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Preble's meadow jumping mouse is a subspecies of meadow jumping mouse, endemic to the upland habitats of Colorado and Wyoming in North America. It is found nowhere else in the world. It is listed as Threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act; there is a major debate about whether it is a valid taxon.
Source: Wikipedia — Preble's meadow jumping mouse Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Small mouse with extraordinarily long tail; large hind legs for jumping; brown-gray back.
Similar species. Other Zapus species. True jumping mice.
Voice. Squeaks.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Seeds, insects, fungi.
Behavior. Federally threatened. Restricted to Colorado Front Range riparian habitats.
§ Range
Front Range, Colorado and Wyoming
§ Habitat
Streamside meadows with dense vegetation
§ Threats
Habitat loss to development, water diversions, fragmentation of riparian corridors.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the preble's meadow jumping mouse is currently classified as Endangered.
§ What helps
Support riparian conservation. Maintain stream-side buffer strips. Donate to Front Range conservation groups.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Preble's meadow jumping mouse
- www.fws.gov — authoritative profile of Zapus hudsonius preblei
- IUCN Red List · taxon 17041
- iNaturalist · taxon 42953
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Zapus hudsonius preblei
§ Sources cited
- USFWS Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse Recovery
- IUCN Red List 2016
