tail shed?

[tecdave]

Hi All,

Am new to this forum so hello to you all!!
I was out today on a dormouse survey and found a number of woodmice in the nest boxes. After returning the lid I found a section of tail on the edge of the box. The mice were not trapped by the lid and I remmember deep down in my memory that a mouse sp. sheds its tail, what I cant recall is if it was a woodmouse or a yellow necked? Any ideas??? I did not get a good enough look at the mice beffore they fled!

Cheers

Dave

[C C]

Mice can't shed thier tails, as a Lizard would. But they are fragile, and can be broken easily. There is a large number of reasons to tail loss. Though most tail loss will arise from an attack or injury, the skin will slip away from the tail bone. The exsposed bone will either, dry up and fall off, or the mouse will chew it off its self. I have read this is common in about 35 species of Rodent?