Zapus princeps, western jumping mouse

This mouse prefers a habitat of tall dense grass and herbaceous plants. Where these groups of plants co-occur in the Great Plains there is generally an association with standing water and expansive wetlands. Dense vegetation provides protection from predation. It may be the top priority in habitat selection. Insects make up the largest portion of their diet followed closely by seeds. Their feeding preference is governed by seasonal availability and over-wintering requirements. Insects are consumed in great numbers during the late spring and throughout the summer when there is an abundance of them. As late summer and fall arrives, the diet of Zapus princeps shifts to the abundance of seeds provided by the dense vegetation. Seeds are typically laden with fats that can be stored both internally through consumption and externally in a cache for retrieval at a later time.