White-footed Mouse

White-footed Mouse

Peromyscus leucopus

Silhouette: Nina Skinner · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Shenandoah National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

7 Verified sightings at Shenandoah National Park From 2019 to 2026
20 In all 3 parks
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the White-footed Mouse

The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is a rodent native to North America from southern Canada to the Southwestern United States and Mexico. It is a species of the genus Peromyscus, a closely related group of New World mice often called "deermice". In the Maritimes, its only location is a disjunct population in southern Nova Scotia. It is also erroneously known as the woodmouse, a name which instead describes the unrelated Apodemus sylvaticus, particularly in Texas.

Adults are 90–100 mm (3.5–3.9 in) in length, not counting the tail, which can add another 63–97 mm (2.5–3.8 in). A young adult weighs 20–30 g (0.7–1.1 oz). While their maximum lifespan is 96 months, the mean life expectancy for the species is 45.5 months for females and 47.5 for males. In northern climates, the average life expectancy is 12–24 months. The species is similar to the eastern deer mouse (P. maniculatus).

White-footed mice are omnivorous, and eat seeds and insects. They are particularly voracious predators of the pupal stage of the invasive gypsy moth (also termed the spongy moth). They are timid and generally avoid humans, but they occasionally take up residence... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Squam Lakes Natural Science Center 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Blue Hills Trailside Museum Habitats 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
4 Museum of Life and Science 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-footed Mouse in Shenandoah National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-footed Mouse sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 17 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-footed Mouse in Shenandoah National Park?

February

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-footed Mouse in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a White-footed Mouse?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-footed Mouse sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Shenandoah National Park the best place to see a White-footed Mouse?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate White-footed Mouse sightings, Shenandoah National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the White-footed Mouse live in Shenandoah National Park?

Same order: Rodentia

The closest relatives of the White-footed Mouse that you can see in Shenandoah National Park (order Rodentia, Rodents) are Eastern Chipmunk (about 30%), Eastern Gray Squirrel (about 30%) and Woodchuck (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-footed Mouse sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-footed Mouse is recorded against all the mammals logged in Shenandoah National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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