That’s NEON mammalian ecologist Kate Thibault, holding a live specimen of Peromyscus maniculatus she snared under a desk in a vacant NEON office earlier this week. Peromyscus maniculatus, or the deer mouse, is one of NEON’s sentinel taxa. Like the other sentinel taxa, it was chosen in part for its ubiquity. It’s ubiquitous because it’s so adaptable, and it’s especially well adapted to thrive in our warm dwellings and offices. If not for Kate, this particular specimen would still be living happily in the quieter corners of NEON HQ.
Yes, Kate should be wearing safety gear. And no, you shouldn’t try to catch mice with your bare hands at home. Kate clearly knows what she’s doing. In fact, if you’re a deer mouse, it’s probably better to be caught by Kate than by most other humans.
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