Mouse Cam - House or Wood?

[tigger]

I've had a visitor... someone eating the seed from a bag of birdseed in my outhouse. Turning detective, I set up a CCTV camera to catch the critter red-handed (or should it be "brown-pawed"?).

It turned out to be a little mouse. He only turned up for about 5mins at 3am and scampered around a bit (eating some of the sunflower hearts) then left. I thought he'd be running backwards and forwards all night.... the things you learn!

It is hard to see from the clip, but I'm trying to work out if it is a wood mouse or house mouse.... any ideas? I think it's a wood mouse. I will be carrying on with "mouse cam" for a while, but you can see the first clip on my wildlife diary.

Jane

[hachidori]

How completely cool that you did the cctv thing! That is just brilliant!

Its pretty hard to tell in the black & white image, but he does seem to be paler underneath, which makes me think he's a wood mouse. Also, he's got pretty big ears, which tend to be bigger in wood mice.

Another indication might be the smell... If you have house mice, the smell is usually stronger than if you have wood mice. (you could always catch him with a live trip-trap or longworth!)

[ron1863]

Lovely film and I reckon it's a Woodmouse too

[tigger]

Hoping to get some more "mouse cam". Did get another visitor to the cam last night... but it wasn't a mouse! I will update my diary with more details. I will try again tonight... hopeful of getting close-up film of my mousey visitor.

[Kayleigh]

I love your little videos... The deer was lovely.... I have wood mice under my shed. They move that fast it's hard to get decent photos of them. They are so cute. I don't know what yours are though.

[asheleaf]

Lovely video and story. I look forward to the next episode. I also have a little visitor who enjoys munching away at the stores of bird food. I dont have a mouse-cam but I did get a photo last summer. Could anyone tell me if he/she is wood or house?

thanks, Ashe

[Dogghound]

Asheleaf, yours is a wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus and so is tigger's.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by hachidori

Also, he's got pretty big ears, which tend to be bigger in wood mice.

This seems to be the most widely quoted difference between Wood mouse and House mouse, yet to me the most obvious and consistent difference is the proportion of tail length to body length. Roughly equal in a House mouse but a noticably longer tail in the Wood mouse.

CM

[Dogghound]

Eye size and coat colour are also good ways of telling the two apart.

[asheleaf]

thanks very much for the id. I didnt expect to find a woodmouse in such an urban location but then i know nothing about small mammals.

thanks again, Ashe