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white-footed mouse

white-footed mouse

7.2
A small North American forest mouse with white feet and belly
  • noun
  • /ˈwaɪtˈfuːtɪd maʊs/
  • US
translation icon : ratón de pies blancos
  • The white-footed mouse is known for its distinctive white feet and is commonly found in North American woodlands.
  • white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
  • white-footed mouse (Peromyscus)
  • white-footed mice and ticks

And forest perimeter favors deer and white footed mice.

Examples

  • And meadow voles, by excluding white-footed mice from some habitats, may reduce the risk of Lyme disease, which is carried by ticks that feed off (and are infected by) these mice.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Because white-footed mice tend to reach higher abundances in species-poor communities (Nupp and Swihart 1998), host community diversity also influences Lyme disease risk.

    Academic text (2009)
  • "You apparently need the deer and white-footed mice to maintain a large population of these ticks.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Now of the small mammals, the white footed mouse is the best reservoir for every form of tick borne disease.

  • In areas dominated by white-footed mice, ticks have a high probability of becoming infected and dangerous to people.

    Academic text (2009)
  • We tested the hypothesis that white-footed mice (P. leucopus) were the predominant host of B. microti in this community.

    Academic text (2012)
  • DTV is believed to be maintained between I. scapularis ticks and the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus).

    Academic text (2013)
  • The tastes of two smart rodents—the meadow vole and the white-footed mouse—can determine what trees grow in a forest.

    Academic text (2002)
  • S (COLOR): The white-footed mouse, left, and the meadow vole, below, reproduce frequently and prolifically, adaptations that help keep them a step ahead of their many predators.

    Academic text (2002)
  • While meadow voles rarely leave grassy fields to enter forests, white-footed mice are generalists, preferring forests but frequenting old fields as well.

    Academic text (2002)

Synonyms

mouse
vswhite-footed mouse
587 1.0

A small animal with a pointed nose, small ears, and a long tail

focuses on a particular woodland species with white feet and underparts
wood mouse
vswhite-footed mouse
  • UK
1 4.5

A small furry animal with a long tail that lives in woods

refers to a single North American species with distinctive white feet
Peromyscus leucopus
vswhite-footed mouse
  • Specialized
9.9

A small North American forest mouse with white feet and a light belly

is the common name for the same species
vesper mouse
vswhite-footed mouse
  • US
9.9

A small woodland mouse from North America with white feet and a white belly

is specific to North America rather than the whole Americas

Surface Forms

Morphology

white-footed + mouse

The phrase is a straightforward adjectival compound: 'white-footed' (white + footed) describes a physical trait and combined with 'mouse' yields 'a mouse with white feet.' This compositional, descriptive pattern is common and predictable across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

White-footed mouse is a name that comes from how the animal looks: it is a small mouse with white feet and pale underparts. That's why the name means 'a small mouse with white feet'.