Harvest
Mice (Micromys Minutus)
A bit about the Harvest Mouse
The
harvest mouse is the smallest british rodent and is the only mouse to have
a truly prehensile tail meaning that they use it as a third limb as an aid
when climbing. The harvest mouse's Latin name Micromys minutus is derived
from Micros meaning small, mys meaning mouse and minutus meaning tiny.
The harvest mouse in found throughout Europe although are absent in most of Scandinavia, Norway and most of Spain, Italy and Sweden, they have been found in East Russia, Korea and South China. In Britain, they are found from Yorkshire southwards and parts of Wales.
These mice live in tropical and subtropical regions and prefer habitats where tall grass is found. These would include high meadows, reed grass plots, bush land interspersed with grasses,and grain fields. In Italy and East Asia, they have also ben found to make there nests in rice fields.
There
is evidence that harvest mice have been present in Britain since the 3rd
century A.D. But it is unclear if they are a truly native species or a result
of a post glacial introduction possibly associated with agricultural activities.
A Survey carried out in the UK in 1970 concluded that the harvest mouse
was more commonly found in southern and eastern areas of England, and it
was said to be "rare" in the west midlands which included Derbyshire.
Harvest mice are thought to be declining and remain vulnerable and it is now thought likely that wetlands were the species original habitat and that loss of wetland habitats may have precipitated a widespread decline of the species in Europe.
The average adult mouse weighs between 5 - 10 grams and are about 5-7cm from head to body with a tail around the same length. It is more rounded in appearance than other species of British mice, with a rather blunt face, small hairy ears and small dark eyes. The under parts are white and clearly demarcated from the orange-russet upper parts.
Keeping harvest mice in captivity.
Harvest
mice can be kept and bred in captivity, if your looking to own harvest mice
its advised to keep them in a glass tank or vivarium with a mesh lid to
provide good ventilation and climbing space for them, a taller enclosure
is preferred but not essential as well as a good amount of floor space with
a minimum of approx 26 inches by 16 inches. Its best to try and mimic there
natural habitat by offering clean hay, straw, sticks and nesting balls of
some type as well as sticks or branches of "safe" wood such as
apple or hazel.
A good substrate which we use is auboise which can be found at any good stable or horse feed suppliers. Harvest mice do not need to be cleaned out as much as the normal pet fancy mouse as they are much smaller and produce practically no odour what so ever. Its advisable to clean your harvest mice every 3 - 4 months, cleaning out your harvest mice to much can cause stress and could cause them to be insecure and is not advised by those who do conservation work.
Male or female?
One really useful thing with harvest mice is its possible to keep male or female groups together with no conflicts between them unlike the fancy mouse. Unlike male fancy mice that tend to smell male groups of harvest mice will not produce any smell even after 3 - 4 months without any cleaning.
Male harvest mice also tend to be more active and generally more enjoyable to watch.
Can I handle my harvest mice?
Harvest mice do not generally enjoy being handled and are more of a watching pet rather than a handling one. They are also very curious and will come to see you if you open there enclosure, they will also walk up your hand or arm to explore something new if given the chance.
Feeding
Harvest mice in the wild feed mainly on seeds, fruits and bulbs, but a tiny proportion of their diet is made up of insects, particularly in the summer, as well as roots, moss and fungi. In captivity we offer a wide range of seeds and grain such as canary mix, budgie mix, millet spay and any other small seeds available to us and mix them together. Harvest mice will drink either from a bowl or a water bottle but is up to the owner as what to use. We tend to use the water bottle as a bowl of water tends to get dirty quick with substrate and feces.
More to come soon...
If you have any questions regarding harvest mice please don't hesitate to Contact Us.