Mystery Mice

[Louise E. Rothstein]

White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) wear "mittens" upon all four of their feet.Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) wear "leggings" upon all of
their feet...and my first three "mystery mice" did resemble immature deermice...but several of my young "mystery mice" surprised me with such unexpected combinations as "mittens" on the "hands" and "leggings" on the
(hind) feet of the same mice.

Could they possibly be hybrids? Native mice normally do not hybridize.
The territorial adults normally evict "intruders" from their colonies before breeding is possible...but suburban developments might disrupt territories.
Does anyone know whether disrupted habitats might produce eclectic
"crash pads" where mice might hybridize?

And if the mice have not hybridized...

How did they happen?

crystalfan2912@yahoo.com

 

[TheDarkFinder]

"The two closely related species of Peromyscus rodents, P. maniculatus (about 60 named subspecies) and sP. leucopu (17 subspecies), are widespread and abundant on the North American continent (4, 17, 25, 26, 41) (Fig. 4). Despite considerable efforts, intraspecific phylogenetic histories of both species remain unclear (reviewed in reference 8). In the case of P. leucopus, the existence of two distinct chromosomal races has been well documented during the last two decades (5, 38, 53, 57) (Fig. 4), supporting the earlier morphological subdivision of the P. leucopus species (41). White-footed mice belonging to both races were shown to hybridize easily along the contact line in Oklahoma, forming a geographically stable narrow hybrid zone (38, 53, 57). "
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=109349]

simple answer is yes.

Check jom 1996'ish on hybrid zones in P. leucopu

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

Dear Darkfinder;

My "mystery mice" originate in Ohio.Not Oklahoma...they are not the SAME cross as the mice you mention. Deer mice differ from white-footed mice in more than their distinctive leg markings. Young deer mice tend to grow considerably longer tails than white-footed mice would have done;for example.
Baby purebreds are unlikely to sprout the "mismatched" and "changeable" tails that these mystery mouselings have. And purebred babies of the same age would also be likely to have the same sized eyes;for although all mice of the genus Peromyscus have larger eyes than "regular" mice purebred deermice
really have enormous eyes.

Purebred babies of both species change their coat color as they mature.
Do babies in a purebred brood change color at the same speed?
Do they end up the same color?
Mine do neither.

Most enquiringly yours,
Louise Esther Rothstein
crystalfan2912@yahoo.com

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

Two immature mysteries turned up in a neighbor's garage.Although both appeared to be as gray coated as immature white-footed mice of the same size all of their little legs had "leggings" on them.

Do we have hybrid mice here?

Writing from the Columbus area;state of Ohio;

Louise E. Rothstein.

 

[thisgal]

Ugh, if they originate in Ohio, they're probably some mutant species cause by pollutants in the.....everything.


Oh, and I'm in Vienna, WV....in the Mid-Ohio Valley.