Conservation & Ecology
Harvest mouse (Micromys minutus)
What’s the difference between a mouse, a vole and a shrew?
Mouse: very large eyes, long tail, very large ears, pointed snout.
Vole: small eyes, short tail, small ears, rounded snout.
Shrew: small eyes, short tail, small ears, pointed snout.
Harvest mouse (Micromys minutus)
The harvest mouse is the smallest rodent in Europe, weighing just 6g, but up to 35g pre‐ hibernation
It can be identified by its blunt nose, short, rounded hairy ears and golden‐brown fur. Its tail is almost as long as its body.
It lives in long, tussocky grassland, reedbeds, hedgerows and around woodland edges.
Nests are spherical and made of tightly woven grass and are elevated from the ground in tall grasses.
It is mainly vegetarian, eating seeds and fruits, but will also eat invertebrates.
House mouse (Musculus musculus or Musculus domesticus)
The house mouse is one of the most successful mammals in the world and is found almost everywhere.
It has been domesticated for pets and also as laboratory mice.
It has dull greyish‐brown fur, a pointed snout, rounded ears and a long naked or almost hairless tail.
Its tail is the same length as its body but it’s thicker and scalier than the tails of other species of mice.
Wood or Field mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)
Also known as the field mouse, the wood mouse is the most common rodent in the UK. It thrives in woodland, rough grassland and gardens.
Its fur is brown with a reddish tinge and a white or greyish underside. Its tail is roughly the same length as its head and body.
It may be distinguished from the similar yellow‐necked mouse (see below) as it lacks a yellow collar on the chest.
It stores berries and seeds in the autumn in underground burrows or sometimes in old birds’ nests.
Yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)
Yellow‐necked mice live in extensive burrows which are also used to store food. They can be easily confused with the more
118 I PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018
A hoard of cherry stones
common wood mouse, and the two were only identified as separate species in 1834.
It can be distinguished from the wood mouse by its collar of yellowish fur, which forms a bib on the chest that can be quite difficult to see. The yellow‐necked mouse may also be larger in general and lighter in colour.
It feeds on buds, seeds or small insects. Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)
Dormice occur mainly in southern counties, especially in Devon, Somerset, Sussex and Kent. There are few recorded localities north of the Midlands, though they are present in parts of the Lake District and in scattered Welsh localities.
The dormouse is a strictly nocturnal species, found in deciduous woodland and overgrown hedgerows. It spends most of its time climbing among tree branches in search of food and rarely comes to the ground. During the day it sleeps in a nest, often in a hollow tree branch or a deserted bird nest or nest box
Dormice feed on flowers, pollen, fruits, insects and nuts.
Bank vole (Myodes glareolus)
Bank voles are active day and night. It is the smallest UK vole with a reddish‐chestnut coat and an off‐white underside.
Like all voles, it has a blunt snout, small eyes and ears. Its tail is short; just half the length of its body.
At first sight, they can be confused with field voles, which are greyer with a shorter tail, or wood mice, which have a longer tail and move much more quickly.
They can climb bushes to feed on fruit, nuts and small insects.
Field vole (Microtus agrestis)
Also known as the short‐tailed vole, the field vole is a very common species in grassland, heathland and moorland.
It is different from the bank vole in having a much shorter tail, shaggier fur and furry ears. It is usually greyish‐or yellowish‐brown with a pale grey underside.
This species is less likely to be seen than the bank vole as it spends more of its time in runs and burrows and can be aggressive to other trespassing voles.
It eats grass, seeds, roots and leaves Water vole (Arvicola amphibious)
The water vole has suffered a serious decline in the UK with numbers dropping by 90%.
Mice are adept climbers
Sometimes known as the water rat, it is the largest species of vole in the UK and is sometimes mistaken for the brown rat. It lives around water: rivers, streams, ditches and ponds. When it enters the water, it makes a distinctive ‘plop’ sound.
Look for its glossy brown or black fur and blunt muzzle with small, black eyes. Its ears are rounded and almost hidden, and it has a dark, slightly furry tail.
Common shrew (Sorex araneus)
Common shrews have a short tail that is only half the length of its body. Its body is mainly dark brown with chestnut‐coloured sides and grey or silver undersides.
It’s a very active and fast‐moving species and needs to eat every two to three hours. It scurries though the undergrowth in woodland and grassland searching for insects, worms, slugs, spiders and larvae.
Shrews don’t hibernate, but they do become less active in winter, living in burrows that may have been made by other species.
Pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus)
One of Britain’s smallest mammals (alongside pipistrelle bats), pygmy shrew can be distinguished from the common shrew by its paler, grey‐brown fur and a long, slightly hairy tail.
Like common shrews, they're quick and active and forage grass, roots, fruit, seeds and invertebrates.
It’s a territorial species and is quite aggressive. It is known to swipe its tail from side to side if it encounters another pygmy shrew.
Water shrew (Neomys fodiens)
This is an elusive species and is rarely seen, but it is the largest species of shrew in the UK.
Its fur is dense and silky and is dark grey or black with a whitish underside and tufts of white around the eyes and on the ears. It has large hind feet and is the only shrew likely to be seen in water.
Unlike other species in Britain, water shrews have venomous saliva that is capable of paralysing prey such small fish and frogs.
With thanks to: Woodland Trust
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk The Mammal Society
www.mammal.org.uk The Wildlife Trusts www.wildlifetrusts
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