Anastasia Island Beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus phasma)
Kingdom: Animalia Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Muridae
Listing Status:
General Information
The Anastasia Island beach mouse and the Southeastern beach mouse are two of six existing coastal subspecies of the oldfield mouse (Peromyscus polionotus). The oldfield mouse is a wide-ranging species in the Southeast. One of the largest species of beach mice (averaging 138.5 millimeters in length and 53 millimeters in tail length), the Anastasia Island beach mouse is much paler than most inland races of the oldfield mouse.
- States/US Territories in which the Anastasia Island Beach mouse is known to occur: Florida
- For more information: http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/Species-Accounts/SpeciesInfo.htm
» Federal Register Documents
| Date | Citation Page | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 09/27/2006 | 71 FR 56545 56547 | Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 5-Year Review of 37 Southeastern Species |
| 05/12/1989 | 54 FR 20598 20602 | ETWP; Endangered Status for the Anastasia Island Beach Mouse and Threatened Status for the Southeastern Beach Mouse; 54 FR 20598 20602 |
| 07/05/1988 | 53 FR 25185 25190 | Proposed End. Status for Anastasia Island Beach Mouse & Thr. Status for Southeastern Beach Mouse; 53 FR 25185-25190 |
» Recovery
Recovery Plan Information Search| Date | Title | Plan Action Status | Plan Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/23/1993 | Anastasia Island/Southeast Beach Mice (2 spp.) | View Implementation Progress | Final |
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/27/2006 | 71 FR 56545 56547 | Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 5-Year Review of 37 Southeastern Species |
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 09/06/2007 | Anastasia Island Beach Mouse 5-Year Review |
» Critical Habitat
No critical habitat rules have been published for the Anastasia Island Beach mouse.
» Conservation Plans
| HCP Plan Summaries |
|---|
| St. Johns County Government |
» Petitions
No petition findings have been published for the Anastasia Island Beach mouse.
» Life History
Habitat Requirements
Beach mice inhabit sand dunes which are vegetated by sea oats and dune panic grass. The scrub adjoining these dunes is populated by oaks and sand pine or palmetto. A study conducted on Merritt Island indicated that the southeastern beach mice may prefer open sand habitat with clumps of palmetto and sea grapes, or dense scrub habitat dominated by palmetto, sea grape, and wax myrtle; over seaward habitat with sea oats (Extine and Stout 1987). Little specific information exists about these species' burrowing habits, although they are presumed to be similar to those of beach mice on the Gulf Coast. Sometimes beach mice use the former burrows of ghost crabs, but usually they dig their own. Burrow entrances are generally found on the sloping side of a dune at the base of a clump of grass. The burrows are used for nesting and food storage as well as a refuge.
Food Habits
Beach mice feed on sea oats and beach grasses. The sea oats must be blown to the ground for the mice to eat. During the spring and early summer when seeds are scarce, beach mice may eat invertebrates.
Movement / Home Range
The Anastasia Island beach mouse may have ranged from Florida's St. John's River in Duval County, south to Anastasia Island in St. Johns County. This beach mouse currently occurs on Anastasia Island, primarily on the north (Anastasia Island State Park) and south (Fort Matanzas National Monument) ends of the island. In 1992, mice from these two populations were reintroduced into suitable historical habitat between Ponte Vedra Beach and South Ponte Vedra Beach in north St. John's County at the Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (formerly Guana River State Park). The reintroduced population is surviving, although in low numbers.
Reproductive Strategy
Breeding activities may be similar to those of beach mice on the Gulf Coast. The breeding season for beach mice appears to start in November and end in early January (Blair 1951). The female, which may reach reproductive maturity at 6 weeks of age, produces two to seven beach mice per litter. A female beach mouse can usually produce litters at 20-day intervals, but mortality is high. Most of the progeny will not survive over 4 months.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
