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North Carolina Week: Woodland Jumping Mouse (Napaeozapus insignis)

Posted on Feb 2, 2008 by in Rodents, Theme Weeks | 2 comments

Napaeozapus insignis
Number 0115

Hey, little fellow, what are you doing up and about? You should be hibernating with all your friends!

Woodland jumping mice hibernate for six months out of the year—roughly October to May—in burrows that they either dig or borrow from other little mammals. They like to eat fruit and seeds and mushrooms and insects. And lots of things like to eat them, too—bobcats, owls, rattlesnakes, skunks, wolves, etc., etc.!

You’ll notice this one’s extremely large hind legs. That’s to help him jump—woodland jumping mice can jump a meter or more! I suspect the super-long tail helps in this somehow. Maybe Lisa, who requested a woodland jumping mouse, can tell us!

Take this mammal home with you!

2 Comments

  1. thought of this blog when I read in the paper of the new mammal discovered in Tanzania… a shrewlike creature related to ellefants….
    anyhow… keep up the nice illos.

  2. Hi Emily, I hope you saw that I drew the new elephant shrew as part of my Newly Discovered Mammals Week. I love those little guys.

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