Wildlifeof Nepal
Long-tailed Field Mouse
Rats, Mice, Voles & Porcupines
Photo: (c) franktl, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Apodemus sylvaticus
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly seeds; also berries, fruit, fungi, roots and small invertebrates
Habitat
Burrows and nests; sometimes buildings in harsh seasons
Gestation period
23–27 days
Size
About 90mm long
Weight
About 23g
The wood mouse, also called the long-tailed field mouse, is a small murid rodent that differs from the yellow-necked mouse in having no yellow band round the neck, slightly smaller ears and a slightly smaller size, about 90mm long and 23g. If caught by the tail it can shed the end, which may never regrow (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is almost entirely nocturnal and terrestrial, burrows extensively and builds nests of plants. It eats mainly seeds, and in places lives in buildings in harsh seasons. Gestation is 23 to 27 days and a female produces on average four young a year. The sources opened here describe it as native to Europe and north-west Africa, so how it occurs in Nepal is unclear and the entry is flagged. Nationally Least Concern (Nepal National Red List 2011).
Quick answers
- What does the Long-tailed Field Mouse eat?
- Mainly seeds; also berries, fruit, fungi, roots and small invertebrates
- What habitat does the Long-tailed Field Mouse live in?
- Burrows and nests; sometimes buildings in harsh seasons
- How long is the gestation period of the Long-tailed Field Mouse?
- 23–27 days
- How big is the Long-tailed Field Mouse?
- About 90mm long
- How much does the Long-tailed Field Mouse weigh?
- About 23g