Figure 2. Two Juvenile White-Footed Mice ( Peromyscus leucopus) That Have Been Placed in a Plastic Pail before Being Marked with Ear Tags and Released .

Mice are important reservoirs for the pathogens that cause Lyme disease, human babesiosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and many other diseases. They thrive in low-diversity vertebrate communities that support few predators and competitors.