Harvest Mouse?

Dave Barlow · #1 (**permalink**) 20-09-2011, 04:18 PM

I found a very small mouse at my back door this morning brought in by my cat! It seems to have some of the characteristics of a Harvest Mouse and would be pleased if people who are more familiar with these might be able to confirm or other wise my ID. It is 6gm in weight. I have added three images to the Unidentified mammals section .

Dorts · #2 (**permalink**) 20-09-2011, 05:32 PM

Dave, it looks good to me, the body weight and length are within usual limits. They have a long, almost prehensile tail.
For some years I regularly found nests among Tall Oat-grass - Arrhenatherum on our local Nature Reserve, and got to know them well. But have not seen any for a while now.
Dorts.

The Woodman · #3 (**permalink**) 20-09-2011, 11:03 PM

Looks good to me, too. There may be someone on here with an interest in this record and it may be worth reporting to the relevant recorder or Mammal Society here....Recording Mammals

Dave Barlow · #4 (**permalink**) 21-09-2011, 06:25 AM

Many thanks Dorts and the Woodman for your input to my ID question. I was fairly sure it was a Harvest Mouse but it seemed rather odd to have one brought to a suburban garden. I don't think my cat wanders that far but there are some rough grass patches nearby. It is just a pity it was dead on arrival. I have put the record forward on to the mammal society's on-line recording page.

Dave

Dogghound · #5 (**permalink**) 21-09-2011, 12:33 PM

I agree harvest mouse. Do you have any areas of wasteland, bramble scrub, railway embankment, river bank etc? Its a decent record as they are quite localised in your area.

Dave Barlow · #6 (**permalink**) 22-09-2011, 09:00 AM

My house is on the edge of a housing estate and there is a wheat filed about 100m from my house. Other than that there is short grass and some hedges at the side of a road. It does still surprise me however as I wouldnt' have thought it was idea habitat.

Dave

The Woodman · #7 (**permalink**) 22-09-2011, 09:20 AM

Dave, if you have access to the fields near you it might find it interesting to take a wander along the margins and hedges to try and find harvest mouse nests woven around grass and other stalks, in brambles, etc.

The nests are not always visible above ground level, a proportion of them will be at ground level in rank grasses and other vegetation.

As vegetation seasonally dies back, they should be easier to see before the winter weather destroys them.

Billabong Karen · #8 (**permalink**) 22-09-2011, 09:27 AM

Not another of the 'look what my cat killed' stories.

Dave Barlow · #9 (**permalink**) 23-09-2011, 06:23 AM

I will have a look over the weekend to see if I can see anything in the hedgerow. My search can be narrowed down somewhat as in three directions there is only houses and gardens. Thanks Woodman for your tips on where to look. As for Billabong Karen's comment. I am a new member and really only wanted confirmation of my ID as Harvest Mouse is a scarce animal in my part of the world with few records. So I wanted to make sure I was correct. I am quite a good naturalist but some small mammals are not so familiar to me especially Harvest mouse which most people have very rarely seen.

Billabong Karen · #10 (**permalink**) 23-09-2011, 09:14 AM

Dave, I apologise. That was uncalled for on my part and worried me last night after I had posted the comment. Though I do think there is a big arguement for keeping cats indoors as far as possible - this might be especially important in your case, if it does turn out there is a population of harvest mice in the vicinity. Karen