Field Guide
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Wood Mouse
Apodemus sylvaticus
Not yet photographed by the community
Large ears and eyes; most widespread UK rodent.
Species Profile
Green List (Least Concern); widespread and common.
- Lifespan
- 1–2 years in the wild; up to 3 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- 7–10 cm body length, 8–12 cm tail; 20–35 g
- Habitat
- Woodland, hedgerows, scrub, and grassland with good ground cover and access to seeds and invertebrates.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout mainland Britain and Wales; absent from Ireland. Resident year-round; populations may fluctuate seasonally.
- Diet
- Seeds, nuts, berries, and invertebrates including insects, spiders, and earthworms; opportunistic omnivore.
- Predators
- Owls (particularly Tawny Owls), kestrels, foxes, stoats, weasels, and domestic cats.
- Mating Season
- May to September, with peak breeding in summer months.
- Breeding
- Litter size 4–8 young; gestation period 24–26 days; typically 2–3 litters per breeding season; young weaned at 3–4 weeks.
- Behaviour
- Nocturnal and solitary, though sometimes found in loose aggregations. Excellent climbers with large ears for hearing; create distinctive gnawed holes in nuts. Highly agile with a characteristic hopping gait.
- •Wood mice have large ears and eyes adapted for nocturnal vision and hearing, making them highly efficient foragers in darkness.
- •They are prolific hoarders, caching seeds and nuts in burrows and under leaf litter to sustain them through winter.
- •The species shows remarkable climbing ability for a mouse, often ascending trees and shrubs to access seeds and berries.
- •Wood mice leave distinctive feeding signs—hazelnuts and beech masts with characteristic holes chewed from one side.
- •They are a key food source for many British predators and play an important role in seed dispersal for woodland plants.
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