Deer Mouse Preference for Seed of Commonly Planted Species, Indigenous Weed Seed, and Sacrifice Foods

Abstract

Captive deer mice from pinyon-juniper, sagebrush-bitterbrush, and Jeffrey pine-ceanothus plant associations were fed a variety of shrub, grass, forb, and tree seeds. Mice ate or destroyed an amount of seed equal to approximately one-third their body weight daily. Seed of bitterbrush, singleleaf pinyon, balsamroot, and small burnet were the most preferred food items tested while seed of Utah juniper, smooth brome, fourwing saltbush, and big saltbush were least preferred. Planting valuable forage species whose seeds are not preferred by deer mice would appear to improve seeding success on sites where seed predation by deer mice is a problem.