Pygmy field mouse

Description

The pygmy field mouse reaches a snout-vent length of 85 to 102 mm, a tail length of 64 to 97 mm as well as a weight of 12 to 26 g. It has hind feet 17 to 22 mm long and ears 14 to 16 mm long. While the coat of the upperparts for western populations is described as grey-brown without yellowish tones, specimens with light sandy or reddish-brown upperparts may occur in Asian populations. In all populations there is a distinct border to the white underpart with a light grey tinge. Furthermore, the tail is divided into a brown upper side and a whitish underpart. The pygmy field mouse has white upperparts on their feets. Occasionally there is a throat patch that differs from the surrounding fur.

Habitat

This rodent prefers to live in lowland or hilly areas up to 400 m altitude. However, it can reach 1400 m in the Carpathians and 3000 m in Asian mountains. The pygmy field mouse prefers to live in semi-open or open landscapes and avoids central areas of forests. It can be found on forest edges, in open forest areas with dense undergrowth, on meadows and fields close to forests or on other cultivated areas. In dry regions, it seeks the vicinity of watercourses.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwergwaldmaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 25 August 2021