The average length of home range for 15 males of P. truei was 363 feet (S. D. 105 ft.); for 22 females of this species 326 feet (S. D. 94 ft.); for 14 males of P. maniculatus 286 feet long (S. D. 94 ft.); and for four females of this species 347 feet (S. D. 83 ft.). The mean lengths of range of males and females differed significantly in P. maniculatus, but not in P. truei. However, no difference was demonstrable in mean sizes of ranges between males, or between females, of the two species.
The distance between captures has been used by several investigators as an index of the extent of home range. More short than long distances tend to be recorded when traps are visited at random, and when inner traps of the range are more strongly favored (Stickel, 1954:10).
Table 3—Summary of Data for Estimated Home Ranges of Mice from a Wild Population.
| Type of Estimate | Species | Sex | No. | Estimated home range in sq. ft. | ± S. D. | |
| Inclusive boundary-strip | P. | truei | M | 16 | 47,333 | 19,286 |
| „ | „ | F | 22 | 40,666 | 17,566 | |
| P. | maniculatus | M | 15 | 34,222 | 16,000 | |
| „ | „ | F | 5 | 51,333 | 15,913 | |
| Exclusive boundary-strip | P. | truei | M | 16 | 34,333 | 13,266 |
| „ | „ | F | 22 | 27,199 | 8,820 | |
| P. | maniculatus | M | 15 | 26,666 | 10,180 | |
| „ | „ | F | 5 | 37,199 | 10,140 | |
| Adjusted Length | P. | truei | M | 16 | 363 | 105 |
| „ | „ | F | 22 | 326 | 94 | |
| P. | maniculatus | M | 14 | 286 | 94 | |
| „ | „ | F | 4 | 347 | 83 | |
It is important to know approximately how far mice travel in one night. The distances traveled between captures on successive nights were calculated for all mice. Even animals caught most frequently usually were caught only once or twice on successive nights. Data from animals caught less than four times, and hence not usable for calculations of home range, could be used in calculating the distance between captures on successive nights. Thus the data were sampled in a more or less random manner for each species.
The mean distance traveled between captures on successive nights was determined for adult and non-adult animals (juvenile, young and subadult) of both sexes. Adult males of P. maniculatus traveled an average of 151.66 feet (n = 24); young males of this species traveled an average of 134.28 feet (n = 7). Adult females of P. maniculatus traveled 170.00 feet (n = 4); no data were available for young females.
Adult males of P. truei traveled an average of 169.47 feet (n = 38); and young males traveled 159.44 feet (n = 18). Adult females of this species traveled 155.71 feet between captures (n = 35), while young females traveled 140.66 feet (n = 15).