Table 10.3 Common and scientific names, male and female mean body size, standard deviation (when available) and dimorphism ratio (female : male) for
123 species of rodents from the Erethizontidae, Muridae, Zapodidae, Heteromyidae, Ctenomyidae, Octodontidae, Bathyergidae, Geomyidae, and Chinchillidae
Common name Species n(f) n(m) Size trait Male SD Female SD f : m Reference
Erethizontidae
North American Erethizon dorsatum 11 12 body mass (kg) 10.2 1.25 8.54 0.93 0.84 Sweitzer and
porcupine Berger 1997;
Sweitzer, personal
communication
vent length (cm) 78 3.46 70.9 2.98 0.91 Sweitzer and
Berger 1997;
Sweitzer, personal
communication
Muridae
Beach vole Microtus breweri 25 23 body length (mm) 129.1 6.6 123.3 5.9 0.96 Heske and Ostfeld
1990
Field vole M. agrestris — — body mass (g) 30.8 — 25.9 — 0.84 Bondrup-Nielsen and
Ims 1990
California vole M. californicus 15 16 body length (mm) 142.2 4.9 135.9 5.1 0.96 Heske and Ostfeld
aesterinus 1990
Long-tailed vole M. longicaudus 6 4 body length (mm) 175 — 172 — 0.98 Smolen and Keller
1987
Singing vole M. miurus murei 44 38 body length (mm) 123.3 4.9 115.9 5.7 0.94 Heske and Ostfeld
1990
Water vole M. richardsoni 142 86 body mass (g) 113.7 15.8 98.9 15.7 0.87 Ludwig 1984
body length (mm) 159 7.1 150.9 8.6 0.95 Ludwig 1984
Root vole M. oeconomus 42 37 body length (mm) 118.9 8.6 113.6 7.1 0.96 Heske and Ostfeld
gilmorei 1990
M. oeconomus 21 18 body mass (g) 29 5.5 24.4 5.4 0.84 Boonstra et al. 1993
macfarlani
Yellow-cheeked M. xanthognathus 14 34 body length (mm) 159.1 10.9 153.1 8.4 0.96 Heske and Ostfeld
vole 1990
Meadow vole M. pennsylvanicus 43 40 body mass (g) 28.7 5.7 25.8 5.9 0.90 Boonstra et al. 1993
Woodland vole M. pinetorum 13 5 body length (mm) 117.8 — 122.9 — 1.04 Smolen 1981
Townsend’s vole M. townsendii 58 70 body mass (g) 53.9 7.9 40.9 6.8 0.76 Boonstra et al. 1993
Northern red- Clethrionomys 10 11 body length (mm) 100.3 3.6 107.6 8.1 1.07 Heske and Ostfeld
backed vole rutilus dawsoni 1990
C. rutilus glacialis 31 21 body length (mm) 110.9 3.9 114.5 4.3 1.03 Heske and Ostfeld
1990
C. rutilus dawsoni 220 169 body mass (g) 24.4 3.2 23.4 5 0.96 Boonstra et al. 1993
Red-backed vole C. gapperi 20 66 body length 97.7 0.8 98.0 1.6 Schulte-Hostedde
et al. 2001
Bank vole C. glareolus 176 70 body mass (g) 25.2 2.2 28 2.5 1.11 Bondrup-Nielsen and
Ims 1990
Grey-sided vole C. rufocanus — — body mass (g) 36.4 — 42.6 — 1.17 Bondrup-Nielsen and
Ims 1990
Sagebrush vole Lagurus curtatus 10 10 body length 128 — 127 — 0.99 Carroll and Geno-
ways 1980
Pouched mouse Saccostomus — — body mass (g) 79.5 3.2 62.3 2 0.78 Keesing 1998a
mearnsi
Deer mouse Peromyscus 21 83 body length (mm) 86.5 0.7 88.2 1.6 1.02 Schulte-Hostedde
maniculatus et al. 2001
Volcano mouse P. alstoni — — body length (mm) 204.4 — 211.1 — 1.03 Williams et al. 1985
Canyon mouse P. crinitus 81 79 body length (mm) 174.6 — 176.1 — 1.01 Johnson and Arm-
strong 1987
Yellow-nosed Abrothrix 166 194 body length (mm) 80.7 5.2 82.0 7.6 1.02 Lozado et al. 1996
mouse xanthorhinus
Longtail rice rat Oryzomys 58 54 body mass (g) 37.7 8.5 27.8 6.3 0.74 Pearson 1983
longicaudatus
body length (mm) 101 7.0 93.2 9.2 0.92 Pearson 1983