White-Footed Mouse Facts & Information

White-footed mice (also known as wood mice) are a common rodent found in the midwestern United States. These mice are named for their white feet which contrast with their dark gray coat. They are very small, only 3.5-4 inches long not including the length of the tail, which is often as long as the rest of the mouse’s body. They are primarily nocturnal which is why you will hear scuttering in your walls, ceilings, or attic at night. They can multiply quickly so if you do hear signs of mice, best to call in a mouse exterminator immediately.

White-footed mice have different breeding seasons depending on where they live. In the northern parts of their range, they breed in spring and late summer. In southern parts of their range, they can breed year round. Females can begin to have babies when they are 44 days old. Females are pregnant for 21 to 28 days, but they occasionally are pregnant for longer as they practice “delayed implantation”, or waiting for good conditions to give birth. Females can have 2 to 4 litters a year, each containing 2 to 9 young. Young are born blind, and their eyes usually open about 2 weeks after birth. The young white-footed mice are nursed by their mother for about 3 weeks in total. Young white-footed mice are born blind, naked, and helpless. Their eyes open at about 12 days of age, and their ears open at about 10 days. Females care for and nurse their young in the nest until they are weaned. Soon after that, the young disperse from their mother’s range. If the young or the nest are in danger, female white-footed mice carry their young one at a time to a safer location.

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