Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Maximum longevity: 6.3 years (captivity)
Observations: One wild born specimen was about 6.3 years of age when it died in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).
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Behavior
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Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
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- Ivaldi, F. 1999. "Apodemus sylvaticus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apodemus_sylvaticus.html
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Morphology
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Head and body length of Apodemus sylvaticus is 60-150mm, tail length is 70-145 mm. The fur is soft, and the tail is only moderately hairy. Coloration on the dorsal area is grayish buff, grayish brown, brown with yellow or red mixed in, or pale sand color. The underparts are white or light gray, often with yellow tinges and an oblong yellow spot on the throat. The feet are white. The tail is not prehensile. Females have six or eight nipples.
The eyes and ears are large, allowing good vision at night and predator avoidance. The sense of smell is highly developed, and these rodents can detect the exact location of buried seeds without having to dig at random in a general area.
Like other members of the subfamily Murinae, these mice have moderately low crowned cheek teeth, with an arrangement of cusps which results in the formation of three longitudinal rows on the biting surface. The incisors are ever-growing self sharpening. There is a layer of enamel on only the front and sides of the teeth, resulting in the back part of the tooth wearing away during normal gnawing behavior so as to form a chisel-like edge.
(Fact-File 1991; Macdonald 1985; Nowak 1991; Parker 1990)
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average mass: 23.4 g.
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.264 W.
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- Ivaldi, F. 1999. "Apodemus sylvaticus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apodemus_sylvaticus.html
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Life Expectancy
provided by Animal Diversity Web
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 4.0 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 1.0 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 4.4 years.
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Habitat
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These mice like grassy fields, cultivated areas, woodlands and forests, although they will live anywhere they can find adequate shelter. They may move into human habitations in the fall and winter but usually dig deep burrows and build a nest of shredded grass and leaves at the end of a tunnel.
(Fact-File 1990;Nowak 1991; Parker 1990)
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Distribution
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Apodemus sylvaticus is found throughout Europe, except northern Scandinavia and Finland, east to the Altai and Himalayan mountains. It is also found in parts of central and southwestern Asia, Himalayas, northwestern Africa, British Isles and nearby islands.
(Fact-File 1991, Nowak 1991)
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Trophic Strategy
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The diet of the Wood Mouse consists of roots, grains, seeds, berries, nuts, grasses, grain kernels, fruits and insects.
(Nowak 1991;Parker 1990)
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Benefits
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Apodemus sylvaticus are important agents for the transportation and burying of tree seeds. Their impact on the forests has both a positive and a negative aspect, and their role in the health of woodland is currently under study.
(Nowak 1991)
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Benefits
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The wood mouse is seen as a pest, inflicting serious damage to vegetable gardens and farmland, digging up seeds before they can germinate, and eating crop grasses down to the ground. These mice are also responsible for damage to seedlings in wooded areas of their range.
(Fact-File 1990; Nowak 1991)
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Conservation Status
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This species is the most common mouse throughout its range. It is not under any threat.
(Fact-File 1990)
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
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- Ivaldi, F. 1999. "Apodemus sylvaticus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apodemus_sylvaticus.html
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Untitled
provided by Animal Diversity Web
The pygmy field mouse (Apodemus microps) and the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) are very similar in appearance and behavior, and they share habitat in some areas, and can be referred to as "twin" species. The Wood Mouse has yet another "twin" species, the yellow necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollus). Although very similar in many traits, these species are distinct and do not interbreed.
Life span in the wild is typically one year, but captive individuals have lived for four years.
(Parker 1990)
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- Ivaldi, F. 1999. "Apodemus sylvaticus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apodemus_sylvaticus.html
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Reproduction
provided by Animal Diversity Web
The breeding season of Apodemys sylvaticus is from March through early winter. Females produce up to four litters annually, with four to seven young each litter after a gestation period of 21-26 days. The young are altricial, weighing a mere 2.5g. They are born with a thin coat of dark fur and open their eyes after 13 days. They are weaned at three weeks and reach sexual maturity at two months. Females of this age usually weigh around 14 grams, while males weigh approximately 25 g.
(Fact-File 1991; Nowak 1991)
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
Average birth mass: 1.5 g.
Average gestation period: 23 days.
Average number of offspring: 5.2.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 65 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 71 days.
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- Ivaldi, F. 1999. "Apodemus sylvaticus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apodemus_sylvaticus.html
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- Francesca Ivaldi, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Biology
provided by Arkive
Wood mice are generally nocturnal, but males, or females suckling young may be active for short times during the day (4). They feed on seeds, invertebrates, fruits, nuts, seedlings, moss and fungi (4), and food is often stored within tunnel systems (3). All mice engage in 'refection' in order to fully digest food; they eat soft faeces that have already passed through their digestive system once, allowing carbohydrates to be fully digested the second time around (3).
Breeding occurs from March/ April until October, and peaks in July and August (4). In summer, females defend breeding ranges against other females (4). Dominant males may be aggressive, and have been reported to chase and even kill juveniles (3). Before mating, males are known to produce a string of ultrasounds, which may serve to pacify the female (3). Gestation takes 25 or 26 days (3), and the litter, which consists of 2-9 young (4), is born at night within the nest (3). Nests are made in underground tunnels, inside hollow logs, bird or dormice nesting boxes or in dense vegetation (3). Between 4 and 7 litters are produced each year (4), and females are able to conceive whilst still suckling the previous litter (3). The young are fully weaned after about 18 days, and usually start to breed the year after their birth, but if they were born early in the year they may breed during the year of birth (4).
Wood mice do not hibernate, but during winter males and females may group together when sleeping for extra warmth (3). The maximum life-span is 18-20 months. This species has many predators, including foxes, weasels, cats, owls and kestrels (4); the wood mouse has evolved a number of strategies to avoid these predators, it can make impressive leaps to safety, and can shed the skin of the tail if it is gripped anywhere other than its base, allowing the mouse to escape. The skin does not grow back; instead the area of the tail dies and falls off (3).
Conservation
provided by Arkive
No conservation measures or legal protection is in place for this common species, which is an important source of food for many carnivores and owls (2).
Description
provided by Arkive
The wood mouse is the most common native rodent in Britain (2). It has brown fur with a reddish tinge (3) and a white or greyish belly (2). The alternative common name of this species is the long-tailed field mouse, as the tail is often roughly the same size as the combined head and body length (3). This species can be distinguished from the similar yellow-necked mouse as it lacks a yellow collar that forms a bib on the chest (2).
Habitat
provided by Arkive
A highly adaptable species, the wood mouse exploits a wide range of habitats, providing that they are not overly wet (4).
Range
provided by Arkive
Widespread and common throughout Britain and continental Europe, reaching as far north as southern Scandinavia (4). It is not present on many of the smaller British islands, but where it does occur on islands it is often the result of introductions (4).
Status
provided by Arkive
No legal protection (2).
Threats
provided by Arkive
Although this species is not threatened at present, loss of woodlands, hedgerows and changes in agriculture may all negatively affect wood mice. Chemicals used in agriculture may also pose a threat, either directly, or via contamination of food sources (4).
Associations
provided by BioImages, the virtual fieldguide, UK
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
Amalaraeus penicilliger mustelae sucks the blood of Apodemus sylvaticus
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Capillaria hepatica endoparasitises patchily yellow liver of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Capillaria muris sylvatici endoparasitises intestine of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Chilomastix bettencourti endoparasitises caecum of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
fluke of Corrigia vitta endoparasitises pancreas (interlobary canals) of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
Ctenophthalmus nobilis nobilis sucks the blood of skin of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
Ctenophthalmus nobilis vulgaris sucks the blood of skin of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / rests in
Entamoeba muris rests inside large intestine of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Giardia muris endoparasitises small intestine of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Grahamella endoparasitises red blood cells of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Hepatozoon sylvaticae endoparasitises white blood cells of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Hexamita muris endoparasitises caecum of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
Hystrichopsylla talpae talpae sucks the blood of skin of Apodemus sylvaticus
Other: major host/prey
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
nymph of Ixodes ricinus sucks the blood of skin of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
nymph of Ixodes trianguliceps sucks the blood of ear of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / associate
Leptinus testaceus is associated with nest of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / vector
Leptospira is spread by Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
Megabothris turbidus sucks the blood of skin of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Mycoplasma endoparasitises red blood cells of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
spirally coiled worm of Nematospiroides dubius endoparasitises duodenum of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
preadult of Pelodera strongyloides endoparasitises tears of Apodemus sylvaticus
Other: minor host/prey
Animal / associate
Rhadinopsylla pentacantha is associated with nest of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / rests in
intestine of Syphacia stroma rests inside Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Trichomonas microti endoparasitises gut of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Trichomonas muris endoparasitises caecum of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Trichomonas sylvaticus endoparasitises gut of Apodemus sylvaticus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Trypanosoma grosi endoparasitises blood plasma of Apodemus sylvaticus
Other: sole host/prey
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
Typhloceras poppei poppei sucks the blood of skin of Apodemus sylvaticus
Brief Summary
provided by Ecomare
Wood mice are true night owls and therefore active mostly at night. They are deft climbers and springers, able to jump up to heights of 70 centimeters. They make nests from leaves, grass and moss, above and below ground. They aren't fussy eaters: seeds, grains, nuts, berries, young plant shoots, bark, spiders, insects, snails, eggs, worms and mushrooms all belong on their menu. Wood mice rapidly colonize new terrains and are found throughout the Netherlands, with the exception of Rottumeroog and Rottumeerplaat. On the Wadden Islands, due to the lack of house mice, it's the wood mice that often inhabit buildings.
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Life Expectancy
provided by EOL authors
The average life expectancy of Apodemus sylvaticus in the wild is 12 to 15 months (Jenrich, Löhr, Müller 2010).
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- Stefan Resch (kleinsaeuger.at)
Wood mouse
provided by wikipedia EN
The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) is a murid rodent native to Europe and northwestern Africa. It is closely related to the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) but differs in that it has no band of yellow fur around the neck, has slightly smaller ears, and is usually slightly smaller overall: around 90 mm (3.54 in) in length and 23 g in weight.[2] It is found across most of Europe and is a very common and widespread species, is commensal with people and is sometimes considered a pest.[1] Other common names are long-tailed field mouse, field mouse, common field mouse, and European wood mouse.[3] This species is a known potential carrier of the Dobrava sequence of hantavirus which affects humans and may pose serious risks to human health.[4]
Upper front teeth with a smooth inner surface which distinguish the wood mouse from the
house mouse
Habitat and distribution
"Harvest, Wood Mouse" illustration from
British Mammals by A. Thorburn, 1920
Wood mice inhabit forests, grasslands, and cultivated fields, tending to seek out more wooded areas in winter.[5] Almost entirely nocturnal and terrestrial, wood mice burrow extensively, build nests of plants and live in buildings during harsh seasons. It is one of the most intensively studied species in the genus. In Europe, it ranges north to Scandinavia and east to Ukraine. The wood mouse is also found in northwestern Africa and on many Mediterranean islands.[6]
Diet
Wood mice are primarily seed eaters,[7] particularly seeds of trees such as oak, beech, ash, lime, hawthorn, and sycamore. If seeds are plentiful on the ground, they carry them back to their nests/burrows for storage.[8] They may eat small invertebrates such as snails and insects, particularly in late spring and early summer when seeds are least available. Later in the season they will eat berries, fruits, fungi and roots. In winter, they may prey on hibernating bats, but this is still debatable.[9]
Behaviour
Wood mice are mainly active during the dark, probably having evolved so to avoid predation, employing several anti-predatory strategies, though breeding females may be more active in daylight in order to collect sufficient food.[10] While foraging, wood mice pick up and distribute visually conspicuous objects, such as leaves and twigs, which they then use as landmarks during exploration.[11][12] If a wood mouse is caught by its tail, it can quickly shed the end of it, which may never regrow.[13] Despite its name, it prefers hedgerows to woodland. During the colder months, wood mice do not hibernate; however, during severe winter seasons they can fall into a torpid state, a decrease in physiological activity.
Predation
Predators of wood mice include foxes, snakes, weasels, birds of prey including owls also cats and dogs.[14]
Reproduction
The wood mouse has a breeding season from February to October in which multiple matings occur between males and females, resulting in scramble competition. Such behavioral characteristics result in sperm competition and multiple paternity litters. The society is polygynous with copulation resulting from scramble competition during reproductive periods. Males possess a sac known as the cauda epididymis, which stores sperm and lies underneath the scrotal protrusion. Temperature regulation ensures maximum sperm output.
One interesting observation about the species, in particular the males, is the morphology of the spermatozoa. They develop falciform (sickle-shaped) heads after meiosis and before spermiation (release during ejaculation). The hook located at the tip of the head adheres to the surface of the head prior to deployment. Propidium iodide staining revealed that only the basal surface of the hook is of nuclear origin. These apical hooks are deployed in the female reproductive tract (the mechanism responsible involved the remodeling of actin filaments in the hook). Deployed apical hooks combine with apical hooks and flagella of other spermatozoa. The aggregates of spermatozoa that result in form "mobile trains", which have experimentally been determined to possess better motility in the female reproductive tract.[15] The mobility of these mobile trains was also found to be influenced by premature acrosome reactions, altruistic acts performed by some spermatozoa for the benefit of other genetically similar gametocytes. This altruism follows a "green beard" mechanism in which spermatozoa discern the genetic similarity of surrounding gametocytes (such mechanisms are rare because they must code for a recognizable phenotype, as well as response mechanisms). Once spermatozoa of similar genotypes are identified, altruism genes are turned on to elicit a response that seeks to conserve the genes present in the other cell, even if it results in the destruction of the cell performing the action.
The gestation period of wood mice is of 25–26 days and each female produces on average four young per year. The offspring become independent after about three weeks and become sexually active after two months.
Gallery
References
-
^ a b Schlitter, D.; van der Straeten, E.; Amori, G.; Hutterer, R.; Kryštufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsainas, G. (2021) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Apodemus sylvaticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T1904A197270811. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T1904A197270811.en. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
-
^ Alcántara, M. (1991). "Geographical variation in body size of the Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus L.". Mammal Review. 21 (3): 143–150. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.1991.tb00115.x.
-
^ Wrobel, Murray. (2006). Elsevier's Dictionary of Mammals. Elsevier, ISBN 978-0-444-51877-4.
-
^ Weidmann, Manfred; Schmidt, P.; Vackova, M.; Krivanec, K.; Munclinger, P.; Hufert, F. T. (February 2005). "Identification of Genetic Evidence for Dobrava Virus Spillover in Rodents by Nested Reverse Transcription (RT)-PCR and TaqMan RT-PCR". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 43 (2): 808–812. doi:10.1128/JCM.43.2.808-812.2005. ISSN 0095-1137. PMC 548048. PMID 15695684.
-
^ J. L. Tellería; T. Santos; M. Alcántara (1991). "Abundance and Food-Searching Intensity of Wood Mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) in Fragmented Forests" (PDF). Journal of Mammalogy. 72 (1): 183–187. doi:10.2307/1381994. JSTOR 1381994. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
-
^ Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Wood mouse
-
^ Fedriani, J. M. (2005). "Do frugivorous mice choose where or what to feed?". Journal of Mammalogy. 86 (3): 576–586. doi:10.1644/1545-1542(2005)86[576:dfmcwo]2.0.co;2.
-
^ Phil Gates (6 September 2018). "Country diary: a close encounter with a wood mouse". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
-
^ Anne-Jifke Haarsma & Rutger Kaal (2016). "Predation of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) on hibernating bats". Population Ecology. 58 (4): 567–576. doi:10.1007/s10144-016-0557-y.
-
^ S. Halle & N.C. Stenseth (2012). Activity patterns in small mammals: An ecological approach. Springer. ISBN 9783642182648. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
-
^ Stopka, P.; et al. (April 2003). "Way-marking behaviour: an aid to spatial navigation in the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)". BMC Ecology. 3: 3. doi:10.1186/1472-6785-3-3. PMC 154096. PMID 12697070.
-
^ "Mice make their own signposts". Nature. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
-
^ Goaman, K., Amery, H. (1983). Mysteries & Marvels of the Animal World, p. 15.
-
^ "The Mammal Society" (PDF). Retrieved 2 November 2018.
-
^ Moore, Harry; et al. (2002). "Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse" (PDF). Nature. 418 (6894): 174–177. doi:10.1038/nature00832. PMID 12110888. S2CID 4413444.
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Wood mouse: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) is a murid rodent native to Europe and northwestern Africa. It is closely related to the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) but differs in that it has no band of yellow fur around the neck, has slightly smaller ears, and is usually slightly smaller overall: around 90 mm (3.54 in) in length and 23 g in weight. It is found across most of Europe and is a very common and widespread species, is commensal with people and is sometimes considered a pest. Other common names are long-tailed field mouse, field mouse, common field mouse, and European wood mouse. This species is a known potential carrier of the Dobrava sequence of hantavirus which affects humans and may pose serious risks to human health.
Upper front teeth with a smooth inner surface which distinguish the wood mouse from the
house mouse
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