Long-tailed Field Mouse

Long-tailed field mice are small nocturnal rodents distributed across Europe and neighboring regions. They inhabit woodlands, hedgerows, fields, gardens, farms, and scrub, using burrows, roots, fallen timber, and dense vegetation for shelter. Their large eyes and ears assist activity in darkness, while long hind feet permit quick running and jumping. They frequently cache food and explore home ranges using well-developed smell, hearing, touch, and spatial memory. (Animal Diversity Web)

These mice are omnivorous, eating seeds, fruits, nuts, roots, fungi, insects, and other small invertebrates. Diet changes seasonally according to availability, and stored seeds help sustain individuals when fresh foods become scarce. Females may reproduce several times during favorable months, bearing two to nine young after gestation of approximately twenty-one to twenty-six days. The blind, hairless newborns remain in a lined nest and depend entirely on maternal milk, warmth, and protection. (Animal Diversity Web)