CreatureData

California deermouse

Peromyscus californicus (Gambel, 1848)

LCLeast Concernrodents

The california deermouse (Peromyscus californicus) is a species in the family Cricetidae, order Rodentia. Recorded adults weigh 43.5 g to 45.5 g and live up to 5.45 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

California deermouse (Peromyscus californicus)
Photo: Whatiguana · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the california deermouse

Weight
43.5 g – 45.5 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
5.45 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Carnivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
5.5 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Gestation
23.6 days – 30 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
1.87 – 2.5src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
46 dayssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
4.56src for Litters or clutches a year
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the california deermouse live?

Not recorded

What is the california deermouse?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The California deermouse or California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) is a species of rodent in the subfamily Neotominae in the family Cricetidae. It is a species of the genus Peromyscus, a closely related group of New World mice often called "deermice", and the only in the Peromyscus californicus species group. It is found in northwestern Mexico and central to southern California. It is the largest Peromyscus species in the United States.

While most rodents are polygamous, the California deermouse is monogamous and forms pair bonds, making it a model organism for researchers studying the genetics and neurobiology of partner fidelity and paternal care.

From the Wikipedia article “California deermouse” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=California_deermouse&oldid=1364275785), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

What does the california deermouse sound like?

Kalcounis-Rueppell M, Petric R, Briggs J, Carney C, Marshall M, Willse J,… · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

Is the california deermouse endangered?

The california deermouse is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the california deermouse classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderRodentia
  5. familyCricetidae
  6. genusPeromyscus
  7. SpeciesPeromyscus californicus (Gambel, 1848)

Synonyms Hesperomys parasiticus, Mus californicus, Peromyscus californicus benitoensis, Peromyscus californicus mariposae, Peromyscus insignis

Other names and names in other languages (13)
  • California mouseEnglish
  • California mouseEnglish
  • California mouseEnglish
  • California mouseEnglish
  • křeček kalifornskýCzech
  • Kalifornische MausGerman
  • Ratón californianoSpanish
  • kalifornianpeurahiiruFinnish
  • Souris de CalifornieFrench
  • カリフォルニアシロアシマウスJapanese
  • KaliforniahjortemusNorwegian Bokmål
  • myszak kalifornijskiPolish
  • Калифорнийский хомячокRussian

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the california deermouse

Other species in the same genus Peromyscus.

LC, Least Concern
Cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus)

Cotton mouse

Peromyscus gossypinus

Cricetidae

CompareCalifornia deermouse vs White-footed mouseCalifornia deermouse vs Eastern deer mouseCalifornia deermouse vs Cactus mouseCalifornia deermouse vs Cotton mouse

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the california deermouse?

An adult california deermouse weighs 43.5 g – 45.5 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the california deermouse endangered?

The california deermouse is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the california deermouse live?

The california deermouse has a recorded lifespan of 5.45 years.

How long is the california deermouse pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 23.6 days – 30 days.

What kind of animal is the california deermouse?

The california deermouse (Peromyscus californicus) belongs to the family Cricetidae in the order Rodentia.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). California deermouse (Peromyscus californicus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/california-deermouse

MLA

“California deermouse (Peromyscus californicus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/california-deermouse.

BibTeX
@misc{california_deermouse_2026,
  title = {California deermouse (Peromyscus californicus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/california-deermouse},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}