*Information adapted from Mammalian Species, No.70, The American Society of Mammologists, 1977

GENERAL STATEMENT
Peromyscus gossypinus is a medium sized rodent with generally dark golden-brown color. It inhabits much of the southeast United States from coastal Virginia in the east to eastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma in the west.

DESCRIPTION
Pelage: A dark golden brown or reddish-brown dorsally with a white underside and feet. The coat consists of two types of hair, a heavy short growth that covers most of the body and a lesser growth of long black hair concentrated along the dorsal midline from the shoulders to the base of the tail. Individual dorsal hairs are gray at the base and have brown tips. Ventral hairs have a gray base but are white distally. The pelage also tends to be lighter in the spring and summer (Batson, 1958).
Size: Medium sized rodent with a tail that is less than half of the total length.
Weight: Adults range from 17 to 46 g.
Measurements: Adults measurements (in mm) are: total length, 142 to 206; body length, 71 to 116; tail length, 55 to 97; hind foot length 16 to 26; ear length, 10 to 21; skull, overall length usually exceeds 27 mm. The skull is larger and heavier than most other eastern species but does not differ from them greatly.
 

FORMAL DIAGNOSIS The diagnostic characteristics that distinguish P. gossypinus from other members of the genus include six plantar tubercles, six mammae, a total length usually less than 250 mm, outer accessory tubercles or loops of m1 and m2 only slightly developed, and a male reproductive tract that lacks developed preputial glands.  Other Peromyscus species that have adjacent or overlapping ranges include P. polionotus, P. maniculatus, P. leucopus, and Podomys floridanus. They differ from P. floridanus by having six plantar tubercles on the hind feet while P. floridanus has five. P. polionotus is noticeably smaller and are usually lighter in color. Sympatric races of P. maniculatus (bairdii and nubiterrae) are also smaller and have sharply bicolor tails as opposed to P. gossypinus.  The most difficult to distinguish from P. gossypinus is P. leucopus. The two are not well differentiated and are interfertile under laboratory conditions. Hybrids have been obtained via captive breeding (Dice, 1937) and some naturally occurring ones have been reported in Virginia (Dice, 1940), Alabama (Howell, 1921) and Texas (McCarley, 1954a) although this is thought to be rare. Key features for distinguishing P. gossypinus from P. leucopus are that P. gossypinus has a hind foot length greater than 22 mm and a skull length greater than 28 mm. Specimens that are intermediate for these two traits can be more critically distinguished by examining other features such as the length and width of the anterior palatine foramina (Linzey et al., 1976). Ecological displacement between the two species occurs (McCarley, 1954b, 1963) but they may co-exist in some habitats (Linzey and Linzey, 1968).

DISTRIBUTION
The geographic range of P. gossypinus extends northward from the Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Virginia and southern Illinois, and westward from the Atlantic Ocean to eastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma. They appear to be absent in the southern Appalachians. The overall range also is subdivided between the seven known subspecies (see range map at top).

HABITAT
The preferred habitat of P. gossypinus is bottomland hardwood forests, moist knolls, and swamps (Rhoads, 1896; Howell, 1921; Dice, 1940; Hamilton, 1943; Ivey, 1949; Pournelle, 1950; Pearson, 1953, 1960; McCarley, 1954b, 1963). It has also been reported in varying numbers in the margins of cleared fields, edges of salt savannah, palmetto thickets bordering beaches (Bangs, 1896), dry knolls, beach dunes, and pine flatwoods (Ivey, 1949; Pournelle, 1950; Layne, 1974), upland timber (Howell, 1921), mixed pine-hardwood forests (Shadowen, 1963; Stephenson et al., 1963, pine-turkey oak, and sand pine scrub (Layne, 1970). It has been noted that they are frequently found along rocky bluffs or ledges and in caves. They also frequent abandoned or intermittently used buildings (Hamilton, 1943; Pearson, 1960).

Density estimates report populations of .25 to 7.17 per hectare but have been found to be as high as 96.6 per hectare in unique areas such as the lowland forests bordering Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee (Calhoun, 1941). These densities will vary with the seasons with the peaks occurring around late winter and lows occurring in late summer.

Pournelle (1950) reported movements of individuals ranging up to 853 meters while the averages were much lower (145m for males and 115m for females). The home range in area was measured to be an average of 0.45 hectares with the range of males being slightly larger than that of females. Pearson (1953) found that home range decreased with population density. In this study, male home ranges were larger than those of females and overlapped extensively, whereas those of females were essentially exclusive. Males did outnumber females in this study, however.

NATURAL HISTORY
Feeding: P. gossypinus is an omnivore and appears to be an opportunistic feeder (Bangs, 1896; Calhoun, 1941; Pournelle, 1950). Calhoun (1941) reported a diet of 68% animal matter and suggested that availability of items was the key factor in determining dietary composition. Their diet can include various invertebrates, seeds, fruits, and nuts.

Nesting: P. gossypinus show a marked preference for elevated nests. The nests can be as high as 60-90 cm off the ground (Taylor and McCarley, 1963). Nests have also been found in protective areas such as in and under logs, in stumps, under brush piles and palmetto scrub, and in moss on floating logs (Ivey, 1949; King, 1963). Various nest materials are used, including palm and palmetto fibers and up to a pound of cotton (Ivey, 1949; Le Conte, 1853)

Activity: P. gossypinus travels on the ground via an "even run" as opposed to the succession of hops exhibited by P. leucopus. However, they can be quite arboreal and have a well developed climbing ability. Their tree climbing manner has been compared to that of gray squirrels (Pournelle, 1950). Swimming and diving were also noted by two studies (Calhoun, 1941; Pournelle, 1950). Other studies observed a preference for wetland areas. Pournelle (1950) noted the swimming and climbing are highly adaptive features for their habitat. Layne and Earhardt (1970) observed a proclivity for digging equal to that of P. leucopus which is less than P. polionotus but greater than P. floridanus.

Circadian Rhythm: In a laboratory, they were found to be strongly nocturnal like many Peromyscus species. However, in comparison to P. floridanus, they exhibit more daytime activity and a higher level of general activity (Layne, 1971).

Breeding: Mating occurs throughout the year but markedly declines during the summer months and peaks in the late fall and early winter. Less of a summer mating decrease may occur in the cooler northern areas of their range. Estrous cycles last an average of 5.26 days. Gestation averages 23 days but can be extended to 30 days if already nursing a previous litter. Litters range from one to seven pups and have an average of 3.7 pups (Pournelle, 1952). The pups are born hairless except for their vibrissae and have an average weight of 2.19 g.

KARYOLOGY
P. gossypinus is similar to other Peromyscus by having a diploid chromosome number of 48. Karyotypes of P. g. palmarious, P. g. gossypinus, and P. g. megacephalus have been described by Cross (1938) and Hsu and Benirschke (1968). The latter two were reported to be identical.

CLASSIFICATION
Order Rodentia, Suborder Myomorpha, Family Muridae, Subfamily Sigmodontinae, Tribe Peromyscini, Genus Peromyscus, Subgenus Peromyscus, leucopus-species group.

SUBSPECIES
Six sub-species are currently recognized. The sub-species P. g. anastasae was determined in by Boone et. al (1993) not to be statistically different enough to warrant a subspecies classification and was subsequently dropped from the list.

P. g. gossypinus (Le Conte, 1853:411). Type locality: Near Riceboro, Liberty Co., Georgia.

P. g. megacephalus (Rhoads, 1894:254). Type locality: Woodville, Jackson Co., Alabama.

P. g. palmarius Bangs, 1896:124. Type locality: Oak Lodge, East Peninsula, Brevard Co., Florida.

P. g. restrictus Howell, 1939:364. Type locality: Chadwick Beach, Englewood, Sarasota Co. Florida.

P. g. allipaticola Schwartz, 1952:383. Type locality: Key Largo, Monroe Co. Florida.

P. g. telmaphilus Schwartz, 1952:384. Type locality: Royal Palm Hammock, Collier Co., Florida.

Taxonomic History

Hesperomys gossypinus Le Conte, 1853:411. Type locality near Riceboro, Liberty Co., Georgia ( Bangs, 1896:123).

Peromyscus gossypinus Rhoads, 1896:189.

References

Batson, J. 1958. Studies of Rhoad's cotton mouse, Peromyscus gossypinus megacephalus, in Alabama. Jour. Tennessee Acad. Sci. 33:123-132.

Bangs, O. 1896. The cotton mouse, Peromyscus gossypinus. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington. 10:119-125.

Boone, J. L., J. L. Laerm, and M. H. Smith. 1993. Taxonomic status of Peromyscus gossypinus anastasae (Anastasia Island cotton mouse). Journal of Mammalogy 74:363-375.

Calhoun, J. B. 1941. Distribution and food habits of mammals in the vicinity of Reelfoot Lake Biological Station, III. Discussion of the mammals recorded from the area. Jour. Tennessee Acad. Sci. 16:207-225. .

Cross, J. C. 1938. Chromosomes of the genus Peromyscus (deer mouse) Cytologia 8:408-419.

Dice, L. R. 1937. Fertility relations in the Peromyscus leucopus group of mice. Contrib. Lab. Vert. Genetics, Univ. Michigan 4:1-3.

Hamilton, W. J., Jr. 1943. Mammals of the eastern United States. Comstock Pull. Co., Ithaca, New York, 432 pp.

Howell, A. H. 1921. A biological survey of Alabama. N. Amer. Fauna 45:1-88.

Howell, A. H 1939. Descriptions of five new mammals from Florida. Jour. Mammal. 20:363-365.

Hsu, T. C., and K. Benirschke. 1968. An atlas of mammalian chromosomes. Vol. 2, Folio 66, Springer-Verlag, New York.

Ivey, R. D. 1949. Life history notes on three mice from the Florida east coast. Jour. Mammal. 30:157-162.

King, J. A. 1963. Maternal behavior in Peromyscus. Pp. 58-93, in Maternal behavior in mammals (H. E. Rheingold, ed.), John Wiley and Sons, New York, 349 pp.

Layne, J. N. 1970. Climbing behavior of Peromyscus floridanus and Peromyscus gossypinus. Jour. Mammal. 51:580-591.

Layne, J. N. 1971. Activity responses of two species of Peromyscus (Rodentia, Muridae) to varying light cycles. Oecologia (Berl.) 7:223-241.

Layne, J. N. 1974. Ecology of small mammals in a flatwoods habitat in north central Florida, with emphasis on the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidas). Amer. Mus. Novitates 2544:1-48.

Layne, J. N., and L. M. Ehrhart. 1970. Digging behavior of four species of deer mice (Peromyscus). Amen Mus. Novitates 2429:1-16.

Le Conte, J. L. 1853. Descriptions of three new species of American arvicolae, with remarks upon some other American rodents. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 6:404-415.

Linzey, A. V., D. W. Linzey, and S. E. Perkins, Jr. 1976. The Peromyscus leucopus species group in Alabama. Manuscript.

Linzey, D. W., and A. V. Linzey. 1968. Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 84 (3):383-414.

McCarley, W. H. 1954a. Natural hybridization in the Peromyscus leucopus species group of mice. Evolution 8:314-323.

McCarley, W. H. 1954b. The ecological distribution of leucopus species group in eastern Texas. Ecology 35:375-379.

McCarley, W. H. 1963. Distributional relationships of sympatric populations of Peromyscus leucopus and P. gossypinus. Ecology 44:784-788.

Pearson, P. G. 1953. A field study of Peromyscus populations in Gulf Hammock, Florida. Ecology 34:199-207.

Pearson, P. G. 1960. Mammals of the Flint-Chattahoochee River area. Quart. Jour. Fla. Acad. Sci. 23:19-35.

Pournelle, G. H. 1950. Mammals of a North Florida swamp. Jour. Mammal. 31:310-319.

Pournelle, G. H. 1952. Reproduction and early postnatal development of the cotton mouse, Peromyscus gossypinus gossypinus. Jour. Mammal. 33:1-20.

Rhoads, S. N. 1894. Descriptions of four new species and two new subspecies of white-footed mice from the United States and British Columbia. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 46:253-261.

Rhoads, S. N. 1896. Contributions to the zoology of Tennessee. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 48:175-205.

Schwartz, A. 1952. Three new mammals from southern Florida. Jour. Mammal. 33:381-385.

Shadowen, H. E. 1963. A live-trap study of small mammals in Louisiana. Jour. Mammal. 44:103-108.

Stephenson, G. K., Y. D. Goodrum, and R. H. Packard. 1963. Small rodents as consumers of pine seed in east Texas uplands. Jour. Forestry 61:523-526.

Taylor, R. J., and H. McCarley, 1963. Vertical distribution of Peromyscus leucopus and P. gossypinus under experimental conditions. Southwestern Nat. 8:107-108.

return to PeroBase home page

This page last updated 24 July 2001 by peromyscus@stkctr.biol.sc.edu and copyright © 2001,
the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina.
URL http://www.sc.edu/dlis/webstandards.html.