By Traci Keller, Wildlife Care Assistant Manager

While hiking the trails of Penitentiary Glen or Girdled Road Reservation, one might be lucky enough to spot a woodland jumping mouse. These tiny rodents can be found in cool moist woodlands, in bogs, and in swamp areas where streams flow from forests into meadows. 

The woodland jumping mouse measures eight inches, with more than half of its length belonging to its characteristic long white-tipped tail. Its fur is orange to reddish brown, with a darker brown stripe running down its back. Juveniles have yellowish coats. The tail is bicolored and its belly and feet are white. It can jump more than three yards, using its long tail and very strong feet. These solitary creatures are nocturnal omnivores, feeding on seeds, fruit, fungi, and invertebrates. 

The woodland jumping mouse is one of the few rodents known to hibernate, nesting in burrows with grasses and dead leaves. These burrows contain multiple chambers, including areas for sleeping (filled with nesting materials for a long winter’s hibernation of six months), a chamber full of food storage, and a chamber for mating and nursing juveniles. In the springtime, males emerge first followed by females two weeks later for mating; one to seven young are born in June. Jumping mice develop more slowly than other rodents to allow more time for the growth and coordination of their specialized jumping limbs. The average lifespan in the wild is four years. 

Believe it or not, the tiny woodland jumping mouse plays an important role in the ecosystem just by eating fungi! These little critters disperse fungal spores throughout forests, providing trees with important nutrients and in turn helping to maintain habitats for everyone to enjoy. 

The woodland jumping mouse is only found in the eastern portion of our state and is listed as a species of concern by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This refers to a species or subspecies that might become threatened in Ohio under continued or increased stress.

This species has been reported and documented at multiple Lake Metroparks properties including Girdled Road Reservation and Penitentiary Glen Reservation. Perhaps next time you are out on the trails you may be lucky enough to see this adorable mouse.