Cotton Mouse
- Scientific Name
- Peromyscus gossypinus
- Also Known As
- Cotton Deer Mouse
- Range
- All of Florida Except the Keys
- Diet
- Plants and Insects
- Life Expectancy
- 1 Year
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Cotton Mice in Central Florida
The cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) is a small rodent native to the southeastern United States, including central Florida.
Often confused with the white-footed mouse, cotton mice can be identified by their larger size, grayish-brown fur, and habitat preferences. This guide provides identification tips, biology facts, and prevention methods for cotton mice inhabiting urban and suburban areas of central Florida.
Appearance and Identification
Cotton mice can be distinguished from similar Peromyscus species by examining both juvenile and adult physical characteristics
Cotton mice are larger with more tawny fur compared to white-footed mice. Their feet and tail lack the stark white underside of white-footed mice. Runways through vegetation, nests, tracks, and gnaw marks help identify cotton mice infestations.
Maturation Rate
Young cotton mice grow rapidly, reaching reproductive maturity by 6 weeks old. They are independent after weaning around 21 days of age. The average lifespan is about 1 year in the wild. Their high reproductive rate allows cotton mice to quickly rebound after control efforts.
Habits and Behavior
Cotton mice are nocturnal and most active during dawn and dusk hours. They prefers fields, scrublands, and wetland edges with dense grassy vegetation or brushy shrubs. Inside structures, cotton mice tend to occupy lower areas like basements and crawlspaces.
Outdoors, they construct globular nests made of shredded plant matter on the ground or low in bushes. Cotton mice can access homes through small openings around foundations. They are more solitary and territorial than house mice.
Reproduction and Lifespan
Cotton mice can breed year-round in central Florida. Females produce 2-3 litters per year with 1-7 young per litter. The gestation period is 23 days. Females may nest together when raising litters.