Unike the house mouse, the deer mouse is not found in cities, but is associated more with rural areas and buildings located in or near wooded areas. It does not commonly invade homes, but in rare instances one or more deer mice may invade a particular building. Deer mice get their name because their coloration resembles deer - brownish black color with a white belly. These rodents generally feed on grains, such as seeds, fruit, leafy vegetation. However, they also may feed on insects . They have bulging eyes and large ears, weigh from 10.5 to 3.9 ounces, and are .1 to 6.7 inches long. The tail may be shorter than the head and body or strikingly longer, depending on the species. All deer mice have soft fur, but colour varies both between and within species.

Deer mice prefer the outdoors where they nest in tree holes, hollow logs, under logs and in piles of stones, branches or logs. If inside, they are most often found in areas of a home where the least human activity occurs, such as attics, garages, basements and crawl spaces. They found all over North America and are the mammal with the most species in this region. These mice inhabit wooded and grassy areas and, in some cases, will enter human homes in search of food and/or shelter. Deer mice create nests in burrows or in other sheltered areas within rocky or wooded areas and burrowing behavior varies between species. Deer mice are nocturnal but are occasionally active in the early evening. They spend daylight hours in burrows or in trees, where they construct nests of plant material. Although terrestrial, they are agile climbers.