Download or read book Habitat Use by Golden Mice (Ochrotomys Nuttalli) and White-footed Mice (Peromyscus Leucopus) in Southern Illinois written by Amy S. Cross and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Similarities between golden mice (Ochrotomys nuttalli ) and white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus ) have been well-studied in both field and laboratory settings. Often sympatric, these species share similar habitat, as well as other resources, yet previous researchers have found little evidence for interspecific competition. Niche partitioning may reduce direct competition through specialization of resource use. Although the golden mouse is considered a resource specialist, it is likely that the degree of habitat specialization differs by locality, and thus, the degree of interspecific competition with similar species is variable. Overall results suggest that golden mice exhibited a great deal of plasticity in microhabitat use seasonally, and are more habitat generalists than previous literature would suggest. Although some spatial segregation was apparent between golden mice and white-footed mice, there was no evidence for avoidance between species, which implies a lack of interference competition. It is likely that other life-history factors (such as metabolic rate, nest building, or sociality) in combination with microhabitat and vertical partitioning allow coexistence between these species rather than microhabitat segregation alone.