And they are so closely associated with woods and trees, that dips in the availability of tree seeds results in fewer field mice. They help to regenerate woods when their forgotten underground seed stores germinate into new trees. They sleep in burrows when it's light and venture out to forage during the evenings.įield mice play an important role in woodland ecology. They can be tricky to spot during the day: they're lightning quick and are nocturnal. Field mice and peopleįield mouse, also known as wood mouse, is the most common and widespread mouse species in the UK. This species of mouse does not have a very strong smell.įield mice tend to mostly eat seeds from trees, but they also eat snails, insects, fruit, berries, nuts and fungi.It thrives in woodland, rough grassland and gardens.It stores berries and seeds in the autumn in underground burrows or sometimes in old birds' nests.Its tail is roughly the same length as its head and body.Its back feet are large which give it a good spring for leaping.A cautious mouse always sniffs anything unfamiliar before approaching.A less uniform mouse with sandy brown fur and a white to grey belly.And they have been domesticated as pets, fancy mice and laboratory mice. They have a poor reputation as disease transmitters and for contaminating food supplies. Our relationship with the house mice has been rocky. They have even colonised new continents with the movement of people, originally being native to Asia. They have taken advantage of human settlements to gain easy access to food and shelter. House mice and humans have been closely entwined throughout history, equally horrifying and benefiting each other throughout the ages. Despite cartoons and the commonly held belief, cheese is not their favourite food – they really favour cereals. House mice need to eat around three grams of food a day. Strong smelling – you will know if they are sharing your house with you!.Its almost hairless tail i s the same length as its body but is thicker and scalier than the tails of other species of mice.Typical mouse profile, small feet with big eyes and ears and a pointed snout.Uniformly brown-grey mouse, right down to the tail.Instead, they're grouped into an order called Eulipotyphla – commonly known as insectivores – which includes hedgehogs and moles. Shrews also have a very short life span – around 1 year as an average.The fourth, the lesser white-toothed shrew, is a species only found on the Isles of Scilly, Jersey and Sark. Three of these are found on mainland Britain. Four species of shrew are native to the UK.Small eyes, short tail, small ears, pointed snout.The larger species like the water vole may live for around 18 months. The average life expectancy for voles is between 3 and 12 months.
![photos of a mouse photos of a mouse](https://media.kingston.com/hyperx/promos/hx-family-mouse-pulsefire-dart-lg.jpg)
The fourth species is the Orkney vole which is found on five of the Orkney Isles. The bank vole, field vole and water vole are the only species that occur on mainland Britain.
![photos of a mouse photos of a mouse](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/02/09/science/04TB-MICE1/04TB-MICE1-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg)