Field Guide
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Harvest Mouse
Micromys minutus
Not yet photographed by the community
Tiny; prehensile tail; weaves globe nest in grass stems.
Species Profile
Amber List (Birds of Conservation Concern equivalent applies to wider farmland bird populations; harvest mouse populations are of conservation concern due to habitat loss)
- Lifespan
- 1–2 years in the wild, occasionally up to 3 years
- Size & Weight
- 5–7.5 cm body length; 7–12 g
- Habitat
- Tall grassland, reed beds, cereal crops, and rough vegetation with dense ground cover.
- UK Distribution
- Found across southern and central England, Wales, and southern Scotland; resident year-round but range and populations fluctuate seasonally and annually.
- Diet
- Seeds, grain, insects, and occasionally vegetation; particularly favours grass seeds and cereal grains during autumn and winter.
- Predators
- Barn owls, kestrels, weasels, stoats, foxes, and domestic cats.
- Mating Season
- May to September
- Breeding
- 2–3 litters per year; 5–8 young per litter; gestation approximately 17–19 days; young weaned at 15–18 days.
- Behaviour
- Nocturnal and solitary, though females may overlap home ranges. Excellent climbers that often forage on seed heads above ground. Builds characteristic woven grass nests in vegetation; may construct multiple nests in a season.
- •Britain's smallest rodent, weighing less than a £1 coin
- •Has a semi-prehensile tail that acts as a fifth limb for gripping vegetation
- •Constructs distinctive spherical nests woven from shredded grass, typically 10–20 cm above ground
- •Populations are heavily dependent on suitable habitat; intensive agriculture and hedgerow removal have caused significant declines
- •Can survive on very limited water intake, obtaining moisture mainly from food
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