2010 Student Research Conference:
23rd Annual Student Research Conference

Does Distance Traveled by Peromyscus leucopus (White-Footed Mouse) Influence Tick Load?
Christina Thebeau
Dr. Stephanie Fore, Faculty Mentor

Peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mouse) is an important host for larval and nymphal Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick). The number of ticks has been found to vary among individual mice but the cause of this variation is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine if distance traveled by Peromyscus leucopus among trapping sessions is related to tick load. Mice were live trapped every other month in three or four night trapping sessions from 2006-2009 in permanent grids established in a field and forest in Adair County, MO. Each mouse trapped was marked for future identification and ticks were collected. Animals trapped <3 times or with ambiguous identifications were excluded from analysis. Males tend to travel greater distances than females. Preliminary data suggests that mice with smaller home ranges have a smaller tick load than those that travel greater distances between trappings.

Keywords: Peromyscus leucopus, Dermacentor variabilis, tick load, distance traveled , live trapping, home ranges

Topic(s):Biology

Presentation Type: Poster

Session: 8-7
Location: SUB-GEO
Time: 4:15

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