Kingdom: Animalia | Phylum: Chordata | Class: Mammalia | Order: Rodentia | Family: Cricetidae
Genus: Peromyscus | Species: Maniculatus
Genus: Peromyscus | Species: Maniculatus
Deer mice are also well adapted to high altitudes but their respiratory system is a temporary adaptation due to its tendencies to travel between highlands and lowlands. They originate from North America and can live sea level to heights of 4300m. They are able to adapt to many environments; forests where they can climb and find tree cavities to shelter in and sandy/snow covered terrain of which they burrow into during the day. The mice that live mostly in forests have a much longer tail which allows them to balance when climbing up the trees and reaching great heights. Highland and lowland mice were tested to gain a better understanding of how the same specie of mouse has different altitude environments and respiratory adaptations.
When tested, a gene mutation was found which is how the mice were able to migrate further and further into higher altitudes. The graph shows how the Deer mice at high altitudes are able to saturate more oxygen than the Deer mice in lowland areas. However there is much more oxygen at sea level which prevents strain of extra work on the heart. The mutation allowed the oxygen to bind to the haemoglobin more than their known red blood cell affinity with oxygen. Meaning that, like the Llamas they were able to absorb more oxygen, allowing them to survive on thin air. This mutation was not found within the lowland mice, stating why they remain at sea level.