South Dakota mammals

White-footed Mouse in South Dakota

Peromyscus leucopus

Native to South Dakota S5 Secure in South Dakota

Not listed as nonindigenous in South Dakota by USGS NAS; native to its South Dakota range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

White-footed mouse on a fallen log in leaf litterWhite-footed mouse in leaf litter and low green coverWhite-footed mouse climbing a small tree trunk at nightWhite-footed mouse moving across rough pavement
Photo: Mark Apgar · CC BY 4.0White-footed mouse on a fallen log in leaf litterPhoto: Judy Gallagher · CC BY-SA 4.0White-footed mouse in leaf litter and low green coverPhoto: Tomas Kay · CC BY 4.0White-footed mouse climbing a small tree trunk at nightPhoto: C. · CC0White-footed mouse moving across rough pavement

White-footed Mouse in South Dakota, by the numbers

Common in South Dakota 11th most recorded of 100 mammals logged in South Dakota

438 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

438 total records count every South Dakota occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 431 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the White-footed Mouse in South Dakota

Most sightings fall in June to July.

431 South Dakota occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly South Dakota records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February0
March2
April8
May23
June113
July155
August88
September8
October29
November5
December0

Monthly white-footed mouse occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in South Dakota, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in South Dakota, with recorded sightings peaking in June–July.

Occurrence map

Where White-footed Mouse has been recorded in South Dakota

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 South Dakota records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Hartford Beach 24
Union Grove 20
Gary Gulch 9
Black Elk Wilderness 9
Sand Creek Recreation Area 9
Black Hills National Forest 4
State Lands 2
Coxes-mirror Lakes 1

Protected places with the most white-footed mouse sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in South Dakota

CountyRecords
Jackson County 56
Brown County 43
Union County 39
Bennett County 38
Clay County 37
Lawrence County 31
Roberts County 26
Mellette County 17
Deuel County 15
Custer County 13
Lincoln County 13
Buffalo County 13
17 other counties 97

The complete county distribution, spread across 29 South Dakota counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

White-footed mouse is a close relative of the more widespread deer mouse but tends to favor wooded and brushy cover more strongly, and its South Dakota records along Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, and the Missouri National Recreational River fit the timbered river-bottom habitat this species prefers over open grassland. NatureServe ranks it S5, Secure, statewide.

Its 9 logged records cluster in June and July, likely tracking small-mammal trapping-survey timing rather than a single sharp breeding peak, since this mouse can raise several litters across the warmer months.

White-footed mouse on a fallen log in leaf litter
Full species profile White-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopus Size 10.1 cm4 in Weight 20–30 g0.7–1.1 oz Lifespan Up to 7.9 yr View the full profile

More mammals in South Dakota in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"