The woodland jumping mouse (Napaeozapus insignis) is a species of jumping mouse found in North America. It can jump up to 3 m (9.8 ft) using its extremely strong feet and long tail.[2]
Representatives of the family Dipodidae are found in the northern regions of the Old and New Worlds, and are characterized by very large infraorbital foramen, and, in one of the two North American genera, Zapus, by four upper cheek teeth. Incisors are compressed and deeply grooved. These animals are common and noted for very long tails and long hind legs adapted for leaping. They live in forests, meadows, and swamps and are profound hibernators.[3]
The woodland jumping mouse was originally classified as Zapus insignis in 1891, but differences detected in dental morphology, ear ossicles, and the baculum resulted in the creation of two new genera, Napaeozapus and Eozapus.[4] N. insignis was in the family Dipodidae, in the subfamily Zapodinae,[3][4] although now Zapodinae is considered its own distinct family, Zapodidae.
The subspecies N. i. abietorum is sometimes considered its own distinct species and called the "western woodland jumping mouse", while the nominate subspecies and N. i. roanensis are the "eastern woodland jumping mouse". If it is considered distinct, N. abietorum would include the subspecies N. i. saquenayensis and N. i. frutectanus.[5]
Populations are most dense in cool, moist boreal woodlands of spruce-fir and hemlock-hardwoods where streams flow from woods to meadows with bankside touch-me-nots (Impatiens) and in situations where meadow and forest intermix and water and thick ground cover are available.[6]
The woodland jumping mouse is a medium-sized rodent. The species is darker in the south.[4][6] The mouse has adaptations to live in cold climate.[4]