One
of Britain's smallest animals is the harvest mouse of the Family Muridae
at 2.5 inches long. It lives mainly in the south east of Britain in
cornfields, surrounding hedgerows, dykes, reed beds, long grass and
allotments near towns and villages. It moves gracefully from stalk to
stalk aided by it's tail which can coil around anything (prehensile),
giving extra support to the mouse and acting as a fifth limb.
Some
biology:
Size:
It
measures in at 2.5 inches, the only mammal smaller in this country is
the pygmy shrew (Sorex
minutus) which
measures in at 2 inches.
Weight:
This
little fellow weighs in at 5 grams that equates to one fifth of an ounce...!
Breeding:
Right
through from April to September.
No
/litter:
This
young lady produces between 5 - 9 young per litter.
Life
expectancy: The
harvest mouse has been known to live for five years in captivity but
it's life expectancy in the wild is about 1.5 years
As
we said above she breeds from April to September. The young are born
in a nest built a few inches above the ground, in corn or grain (see
picture below). In winter it tunnels into hay and corn ricks or burrows
just below ground level. Little is known about it's diet though it would
seem likely that the harvest mouse was a granivore. Lacking the mousy
smell and requiring little attention, the harvest mouse makes a good
pet
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