Deer Mice: Peromyscus, Rice Rats: Oryzomys, Cane Mice: Zygodontomys, Cotton Rats: Sigmodon, White-Tailed Rats: Mystromys

Peromyscus maniculatus

the prairie deer mouse

Peromyscus leucopus

The white-footed mouse

What is this?

Peromyscus leucopus, The white-footed mouse

What is this?

Peromyscus maniculatus, Prairie Deer Mouse

Common research uses for Peromyscus species?

have been used extensively for studies in genetics, physiology, aging, cataracts, and behavior

What species if an inducible model for heritable hyperlipidemia?

Peromyscus californicus

are genetically susceptible to a heritable hyperlipidemia

that is inducible by a high fat diet. This has been used as an

experimental model of metabolic syndrome.

What specific neurologic research are Peromyscus good for?

neurological research of epilepsy and refine methods for generating audiogenic seizures have been developed

What zoonotic disease is P. leucopus best known to be a reservoir for? HINT: present in North America, aerosolized dust with mouse urine is common cause of zoonosis in humans

They are well known as the principal vector for North American hantaviruses, including Sin Nombre virus

BSL level required when hantavirus is induced in Deer mice, white footed mice or cotton rat?

BSL 4

BSL level required when hantavirus is induced in other rodents except Deer mice, white footed mice or cotton rat?

BSL 2

What parasite is P. leucopus a host for and what zoonotic diseases does this vector spread?

P. leucopus is a significant host for Ixodes scapularis (the black-legged tick or deer tick). Thus it has been studied for its role in the epidemiology of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Ixodid ticks also are host to the blood parasites Babesia microti and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (formerly Ehrlichia phagocytophila)

What zoonotic diseases are P. leucopus commonly vectors for?

1. Hantavirus (Sin Nombre)

2. Tickborne diseases (Lyme, anaplasma, babesia)

3. tularemia

4. toxoplasmosis

5. trypanosomiasis

6. cryptosporidium

7. giardia

Activity, estrus, gestation of Peromyscus?

Nocturnal, estrus is 6 days and typically are polyestrus, gestation 22-23 days.

Oryzomys palustris

Oryzomys palustris is the most commonly studied species.

It is also called the marsh rice rat because it is found

in habitats such as swamps and salt marshes.

What is this?

Oryzomys palustris, Marsh rice rat

What are rice rats most commonly used for on research?

The rice rat spontaneously develops periodontal disease. The rice rat spontaneously develops periodontal disease

How is periodontitis induced in rice rats?

The rice rat spontaneously develops periodontal disease

Rice rats have chromosome polymorphism, what does that mean?

varying diploid numbers for total chromosomes

What are rice rats common zoonotic vectors for?

The rice rat is the predominant reservoir

host for Bayou virus, a cause of hantavirus pulmonary

syndrome

Zygodontomys brevicauda

Cane mouse

What is this?

Zygodontomys brevicauda, cane mouse

What are Zygodontomys brevicauda used in research for?

comparative studies of mammalian

circannual reproductive cycles since this is one

of the few tropical species known to lack a reproductive

response to photoperiod

What zoonotic virus are Zygodontomys brevicauda natural host for?

Zygodontomys brevicauda is a

natural host of Guanarito virus, the cause of Venezuelan

hemorrhagic fever (VHF)

What is the diet for Z. brevicauda?

Food consisted of commercial mouse chow, supplemented by dry

cat food and chopped frozen vegetables

What behavioural trait regarding handling should you know about Z. brevicauda?

Cane mice are strong and agile and jump abruptly with slight provocation

What parasite is significant in research colonies of Z. brevicauda?

tropical rat mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti) appears

to persist in laboratory-bred, wild-derived animals

Sigmodon hispidus

cotton rat

What is this?

Sigmodon hispidus

S. hispidus are commonly used in what kind research?

Cotton rats are an important animal model for viral

respiratory tract diseases, particularly those caused by

paramyxoviruses. ie. RSV, Parainfluenze 3, and measles virus. Additionally, also good models for avian and swine influenza and have been used to test influenza vaccination strategies

S. hispidus become or immune or predisposed to enhanced disease when receiving paramyxoviral vaccines?

enhanced disease

Why are cotton rats good models for adenovirus?

Adenovirus pneumonia in infected animals is similar to that in humans. Ocular adenovirus infection in cotton rats is the only animal model of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis

What zoonotic diseases are cotton rats hosts for?

1. Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus.

2. Cotton rats are naturally infected with the

   filarial nematode Litomosoides carinii and are popular animal models to screen antifilarial drugs

3. They can be nasally colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to test interventional strategies.

4. Researchers have investigated the role of the

   wild cotton rat as a natural reservoir of Lyme disease,

   the hantavirus Black Creek Canal virus, and Venezuelan

   equine encephalitis

Are cotton rats aggressive?

Aggressive behavior is common, and caged animals will inflict severe bite wounds on cage mates and sometimes fight to the death. The cotton rats will attempt to bite and escape when

picked up. Leather garden gloves simplify handling but

for inexperienced handlers, a handling device enabling

cage transfer without direct contact has been developed

Activity, estrus, gestation of cotton rats, breeding behaviour?

Diurnal, solitary animals, gestation is 27 days. Monogamous breeding by 6 weeks of age.

Do cotton rats require a lot of water?

Animals drink more than standard

laboratory rats, thus caretakers may need to change

cages twice a week.

Diet for cotton rats?

standard rodent diet fine

What happens when you handle cotton rats by the tail?

Cotton rats should not be picked

up by the tail, as they spin when picked up and the tail

skin easily degloves.

What is a notable neoplastic disease of cotton rats?

fundic gastric tubular adenocarcinoma

What do inbred colonies of cotton rats tend to get?

sporadic exophthalmos and heart failure

Mystromys albicaudatus

white tailed rat

Are Mystromys albicaudatus rats?

No they are actually hamsters

What is this?

Mystromys albicaudatus

What rudimentary anatomic feature of Mystromys albicaudatus do females have?

Females have a rudimentary prostate gland

What metabolic disease are Mystromys albicaudatus models for?

white-tailed rats were used in diabetes

mellitus research where they have been demonstrated

to spontaneously develop hyperglycemia, polyuria,

glycosuria, ketonuria, and degenerative changes in the

islets of Langerhans. The disease is more common in

males and is not associated with obesity

What infectious diseases are M. albicaudatus models for?

1. have been infected experimentally with Crimean–Congo

   hemorrhagic fever virus

2. They have also been infected with human Streptococcus spp. to investigate caries development

3. an excellent model of American cutaneous leishmaniasis

Do young attach to mystromis nipples after birth?

Newborns attach firmly to the nipples

of the dams and are dragged about for 3 weeks

Gestation of the white tailed rat?

38 days

White tailed rat diet?

standard rodent diet

Is spontaneous DM more common in males for females?

Spontaneous diabetes mellitus in the white-tailed

rat is common is more frequent in males than in

females