The spring decline in deer mice: death or dispersal?

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Abstract
Demographic processes associated with the onset of breeding in spring are examined in a population of deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus. Many mice of both sexes disappear from the population at this time. The disappearance of males appears to result from the dispersal of light-weight, subordinate animals. The disappearance of females, however, appears to be due mainly to mortality of early-breeding females. The consequences of this difference between the sexes for limitation of breeding densities are discussed. Two hypotheses relating the population processes of males to those of females are presented, and a possible experimental test of these is described.