What does a vole eat in the steppe, forest, taiga and meadow? Is the field mouse an omnivore?

Characteristics of a small rodent

Field mice differ from their relatives in their small size. Miniature animals reach a maximum length of 13 cm. The long thin tail of an adult is 70% of the previous parameter. Its dimensions can be 7-10 cm. The animal has many names - field vole, meadow vole, striped vole, little one. The field mice in the photo seem harmless and quite charming creatures. Their appearance is familiar to almost every person, because field mice can often be found in outbuildings, granaries, vegetable gardens, garden plots, warehouses and residential buildings. Types of voles In nature, the most common types of pests are:

• common vole;
• wood mouse;
• underground;
• campagnol;
• steppe and yellow variegation;
• red and ginger mouse.

The specific features of the external appearance and structure of mice are determined by their belonging to a particular species. But despite this, they all have common features. The field mouse has a pointed muzzle ending in a neat nose. Miniature round eyes are almost black in color. Dense leathery ears are tilted slightly forward and are located in the upper part of the head, which is clearly visible in the photo of field mice. The dimensions of the auricle with a poorly developed blade on its outer edge vary between 9-14 mm. The animal's foot is quite wide and short (1.7-2.1 cm). Small claws on the paws are blunt. Appearance of a vole

The round body of the mouse, which is called a vole, is covered with thick hair. Short fur, tougher than that of other mouse representatives, becomes coarser in older individuals and peculiar soft needles are formed in it. The color of the fur coat can change depending on the region where it lives. It can be gray, brown, red, ocher. The whitish abdomen is covered with light hairs with a dark base. A clearly visible, distinct black or brown stripe runs along the entire back, which is a characteristic feature of this species of mouse.

The small skull of rodents is distinguished by an elongated nasal part with well-developed alveolar tubercles. Its dimensions are in the range of 2.5-2.8 cm. The oval, slightly flattened braincase of a mouse with a black stripe is limited by extensions of the frontal ridges. The wide interorbital space has well-developed ridges located along its edges. In rodents, the occipital and parietal bones touch.

A description of the field mouse would not be complete without noting the unique feature of the animal’s teeth. On the lower jaw of the animal there is a pair of long incisors. They erupt in the 2nd month of life of mice and grow constantly. Every day their size increases by 1-2 mm. Rodents have to wear them down all the time by biting various hard objects.

Quite often you can hear the question - how much does a field mouse weigh? The weight of a small animal ranges from 15 to 30 g. On average, an adult gains approximately 20 g in weight.

Diet

The diet of field mice is quite varied and varies depending on the “place of residence”.

The animal feeds very actively and can eat as much food in a day as it weighs.

• In the steppe. The vole usually feeds on grasses and plant roots, insect larvae, and cereals;
• In the meadow. The field mouse eats succulent stems and bulbs of plants, grass seeds, various berries, and small insects;
• In the forest. Field mice can often be found on forest edges; they eagerly eat tree bark, green leaves, buds, young shoots of bushes, mushrooms, nuts and berries;
• In the taiga. The field mouse, which lives in Siberian forests, is slightly different in color; its fur has a reddish tint. In the taiga, the vole has something to eat: lingonberries, cranberries, nuts, various small insects, cones, buds and tree leaves.

What does a mouse eat in the forest? What do mice eat?

A mouse is a small animal from the order of rodents, which includes about 400 species that differ in appearance and habitat. Representatives of the mouse family live in tropical thickets, deciduous and coniferous forests. You can find a mouse in the meadow and in the steppe, taiga and mountains, in tropical thickets and even in a swamp. On the territory of Russia they are more common, and. Often these animals settle near human habitation. Rodents are practically omnivores, adapting to different living conditions. You can find out what mice eat in this article.

Peculiarities

Mice are small animals whose maximum body length (depending on) can reach up to 19 cm

These are very timid creatures, showing caution at every rustle and sound. Sensing danger, the animals quickly hide or start running. The language of communication for these small rodents is squeaking.

They are able to live both alone and in a small family

The language of communication for these small rodents is squeaking. They are able to live either alone or in a small family.

In autumn, the mouse tries to make supplies that it feeds on in winter. She lays them in nests that she makes from grass stems. Rodents also dig complex systems of underground passages and use abandoned holes to serve them as shelter.

What do mice eat?

On a note!

Under natural conditions, the animals live 9-10 months. The life expectancy of mice in captivity is much higher (up to 7-8 years).

What do wild rodents like?

In nature, wild mice live where there is food that they can eat. They set up their home and replenish their food supplies throughout the fall. In search of food, mice usually leave their homes at night. Rodents prefer to eat plant foods. Animals living in the forest eat grass seeds, tree fruits, plant tops, nuts, acorns and mushrooms. They can also eat insects: various beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, caterpillars, crickets and even worms.

During the cold season, these mammals do not hibernate; they continue to lead an active lifestyle and, in case of hunger, begin to panic in search of food for themselves. In winter, animals cannot always be seen, as they try to move under the snow.

Meadow, steppe and field mice eat grain (millet, buckwheat, barley, wheat and oats), clover and fruits. The vole can also feed on cereal stems and seeds, and loves seedlings and flowers. The green part of plants, various buds, roots, leaves and shoots are what mice that live in swamps and along river banks feed on.

On a note!

Often mice settle in beehives, where they begin to feed not only on dead, but also on living bees. In addition, they eat honey and bee bread, which is necessary for bees in early spring.

There are also mice in the house. They settle there when their supplies run out, causing damage to the structure and the harvest.

What do house mice like?

Nutrition of domestic rodents

The biggest gluttons can be called rodents that live next to a person, as well as near his home. Most often, these are small white animals that quickly get used to humans and can be trained. Mice that live in people's homes feed not only on cereals, they eat various foods: potatoes, beets, carrots, they can eat quail eggs and even sausage. Mice are known to eat cockroaches at home.

The favorite foods of mice are apples, melons, and grapes. They can also eat bread, greens in the form of lettuce, young nettle shoots, raspberry or apple branches. They love to eat dried fruits, zucchini, cucumbers, and green parts of plants (parsley, dill).

Some members of the mouse family do not exclude raw meat from their diet. There may even be a mouse of smaller mice. Thus, large yellow-throated mice are capable of eating their own kind - small brothers living in a field or forest. However, this is only possible if they are in the same room or cage. In nature, manifestations of cannibalism are practically not observed. This is explained by the fact that small animals are much more mobile and nimble than their large relatives.

Pest control methods

Due to the danger to human life and health, as well as to all agriculture, the mouse is exterminated in every possible way. To limit the number of individuals there are the following methods:

• passive-preventive, in which mice are repelled from areas and objects of human activity;
• active, which uses methods for the complete destruction of pests.

The smell of a number of plants repels field mice; such protection is classified as a passive type of protection.

Repellent method

Plantings of odorous plants that mice cannot tolerate are effective in repelling them. These include:

• calendula;
• garlic;
• onion;
• sagebrush;
• mint;
• tansy and other herbs and plants with an intense odor.

Essential oils of plants are also used. You need to moisten cotton pads in liquid and place them in places where mice are expected to appear. You can use ammonia or kerosene. Rodents also try to avoid tree ash.

If you do not want to harm field mice, you can use a sonic repeller

Vibrating or ultrasonic devices are considered a more humane method of repelling, because of which rodents feel uncomfortable and run away. Such devices can be found in specialized gardening stores, or you can also make them yourself.

To make the device, you need to bury a stake in the ground, onto which a plastic bottle is placed. In windy weather it will spin and rattle, scaring away rodents. By analogy with a bottle, you can use tin cans or even bells.

It is unlikely that a colony of pests will remain in an area that is under the supervision of a hunter cat.

Physical destruction

In such a “war” any means are good. In a situation where the harvest is in danger, even the most extreme measures are justified. In folk methods of getting rid of mice, there are several options for battle:

1. Plaster thrombus. You need to mix flour and gypsum (or lime) in equal parts and add a little salt. A mouse that eats this mixture will develop a blood clot in its stomach and die.
2. I. In pesticide stores you can buy special anti-rodent preparations. They are presented in the form of granules or tablets. You must strictly wear gloves when laying out the poison, otherwise cautious mice will not even approach the bait. Some poisons take time to act and poisoned individuals infect others during this period. If there is a cat on the property that can eat a dead mouse, it is better not to use this method, otherwise the pet may also die.
3. Mechanical destroyers. The method using mousetraps is only effective when there are only a few mice living in the area.
4. Traps. People invent different types of devices for catching mice. For example, glue is applied to the base and bait is placed in the center. The mouse, having approached the food, becomes glued and cannot escape. You can also buy a trap in a store.

Traps and baits should be laid out with gloves, the smell of a person repels mice

Sometimes mice cause such harm to a household that a real war is waged against them. It is better to use chocolate, meat or bread dipped in unrefined sunflower oil as bait rather than cheese.

Consequences of complete extermination

During the years of demographic decline of mice, populations of owls, foxes and other animals and birds that feed on mice suffer. Some species of voles are considered rare and are protected by law. These are the mice:

• Muyskaya;
• Central Kashmir;
• Balukhistan;
• Taiwanese;
• Evoronian;
• Japanese;
• Mexican.

Prevention measures

To reduce the likelihood of voles becoming infested, various methods are used. Some of them:

• get a pet cat or dog;
• do not drive away natural mouse enemies from the site;
• clear the area of ​​rubbish in which rodents can live (old furniture, boards, fabrics, etc.);
• loosen the ground, destroying mouse passages;
• Get rid of any garden debris that might harbor mice.

For effective control, it is better to use several methods, which also include prevention.

Any living creature living on the planet occupies a certain place in the ecological sphere. By eating plant seeds, mice control the growth of grass, which prevents trees from emerging. This way the forest is preserved. Rodents are also an important link in the predator food chain.

Wild mice - description and living conditions

Rodent habitat

Mice can be found in every corner of our planet. They live in tropical thickets, coniferous and ordinary forests, steppes and deserts, mountains and swamps. Some types of rodents dig minks, the depth of which can reach 70 cm and the duration of 20 m. Other species of mice make nests in thickets of tall grass, tree roots and stumps.

Mice can dig winter and summer minks, and sometimes occupy abandoned ones. In summer homes, rodents breed, creating for this purpose special bedding from fluff, dry and fresh grass and feathers. Animals store food supplies in winter burrows.

What do rodents eat in the wild?

The basis of the diet of wild mice is plant food. But rodents also love protein foods, so they happily eat worms and insects.

Mice living in the forest feed and store hazel nuts and acorns, maple and beech seeds for the winter, and do not hesitate to eat small beetles and grasshoppers.

Rodents that live near a human home, or right in it, can eat potatoes, bread, meat and other provisions that they find in the house.

How mice behave in their natural habitat

Mice are constantly on the move. This is the basis of their survival, because this is the only way rodents can maintain a comfortable body temperature. In summer, mice are active in the dark, and prefer to rest during the day. They spend the winter underground, so the connection to daylight hours disappears, and activity is smoothly distributed throughout the day. In spring and autumn, mice reproduce, and at the end of summer and throughout the fall they prepare supplies for wintering.

Mice live only in flocks. This makes it easier to arrange a home, raise offspring and search for food. A group of mice is controlled by one leader. Sometimes young males begin to claim his place. Often such actions lead to the collapse of the rodent community.

Reproduction in wild mice

Mice reach puberty 1.5 months after birth. But the readiness to produce the first offspring occurs only at two to three months. Estrus (estrus period) lasts for 9 days in females. At this time, males use ultrasound to attract them. After fertilization, pregnancy occurs, which lasts from 17 to 24 days.

After the mother begins to feed her offspring, a new estrus may come only a month later, when the pups grow up and become independent. After the first birth, the second pregnancy occurs quite quickly, and within a year the female can bear 10-14 litters, each of which will contain 5-10 pups.

Enemies of mice

Mice are hunted by many predators. In the forest, foxes, martens, arctic foxes, ferrets, stoats, weasels, lynxes and even wolves lie in wait for rodents. These animals easily dig up mouse holes and eat up to 30 animals at a time.

Birds of prey also hunt small rodents. The main enemies of mice are owls, buzzards, hawks, eagles, owls and kites.

How long do mice live?

The average lifespan of wild mice is 2-3 years. This is influenced by many factors. For example, the quality of food, the number of predators living in the neighborhood, weather conditions, especially winter cold and summer drought.

Types of garden and country pests

Frequent guests at the dacha are field mice; it will be easier to find out how to get rid of rodents most effectively if you become familiar with the habits of mammals of this species. There are over 140 species of animals in this family of hamsters, but common voles explore the garden plot. Their habitat is forest-steppe regions. The vole eats everything plant it comes across - succulent plant stems, their seeds, shoots, bulbs, roots and tubers, and tree bark in winter. Therefore, if you find flowers in a flowerbed or plants in a garden withering, examine their root. If it is damaged, it means that there are voles in the dacha; you need to figure out how to get rid of rodents and protect the plants.

This type of pest is extremely voracious. Moreover, the vole stores food for the winter, so it will drag everything from the barn or shed that is not lying well. You can take advantage of this when choosing a method for getting rid of mice in your country house and garden.

Shrews are a type of insectivorous animal that is very similar to mice. But instead of a gnawing mouthpart, mammals of this family have a proboscis. They inhabit any landscape. The main condition for comfortable living is moist soil. It is in them that it is easier for the shrew to dig holes. They rarely settle in human dwellings. On a personal plot they can nest under dead wood, in stumps or fallen tree trunks. This ground mouse feeds on insects and can eat frogs and even voles. On the one hand, the animal clearly brings benefits to the site. But if you take into account her gluttony - she eats 2 times her own weight in food per day - then the damage is obvious;

• eats populations of earthworms that maintain natural soil aeration;
• digging up a personal plot, undermining the roots of plants;
• disrupt the quality of the soil.

Therefore, if you are wondering how to get rid of mice in your dacha, also take an interest in how to install protection against shrews. But the house mouse will take great pleasure in encroaching on the harvest that has already been harvested. The name of the mammal is not accidental. The fact is that the uninvited guest feels comfortable in warmth and dryness. Therefore, with the onset of cold weather, it hides in attics, supply warehouses, sheds, storerooms and barns. It is warm and dry here, and there is a lot of food - house pests are omnivores (they can even taste soap and candles). It is worth noting that if you have solved the problem of how to deal with mice and voles in the country, then similar methods of control for house guests will not work. Under favorable conditions, one female will give birth to unprecedented offspring over the winter - from 5 to 14 mice 2-4 times.

The house mouse is not only prolific and voracious, but also dangerous for household members. It spreads bacteria throughout the apartment and house, creating unfavorable conditions in living spaces. Therefore, when planting and harvesting (storing) crops, find out in advance how to deal with mice in the garden, home and pantry. It is necessary to react quickly and mercilessly to the appearance of pests, otherwise, having found favorable conditions for themselves, the population of mammals will increase to incredible sizes.

Lifestyle and habitat

Mice reproduce quickly, they are hardy and adapt to almost any natural conditions. Therefore, you can meet them in any corner of the planet. They live in Siberia, the Volga region, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. Vole nests are found even in northern India and in the arid regions of Mongolia and China. Mice raid crops in South and North America and the Scandinavian countries. But they are not able to live for a long time in a hot climate, therefore, starting from the desert regions of North Africa, rodents are not found.

Voles are animals that do not hibernate. That is, mice need a supply of grain for the entire winter. Here they do not limit themselves; they drag an abundance of food into their holes. One mouse can eat up to 4 kg of grain, which it simply cannot eat. Most of it dies, but at the same time releases the heat necessary to warm the winter shelter and nurse the offspring.

It is not entirely true that voles live only in deep, winding burrows underground. Many mice choose the hollows of trees, the places between their huge roots. Rodents thrive in haystacks that are not collected for the winter and in the attics of residential, including abandoned, premises. They can be found in barns, cattle sheds, poultry houses and pigsties.

Description of the field mouse

The field mouse has many varieties. Among its close relatives are:

• ordinary - the most common type;
• red - an inhabitant of the predominantly hot steppes of Asia;
• forest, preferring forest-steppe zones of the Eurasian and North American continents;
• underground - a resident of city communications and local areas.

Despite their diversity, they all belong to the genus of voles, the family of hamsters, the order of rodents and the class of mammals.

Appearance of a field mouse

All species of voles have an elongated, pointed muzzle, dark beady eyes (black or deep brown), pointed ears and a long tail, leaving about ¾ of the body length. This is a miniature rodent with a maximum length of 13 cm, more often up to 10 cm, not counting the tail. The weight of a vole is about 15 g. On the high cheekbones, the mice have wing-shaped plates, which makes it seem as if they have dimples on their cheeks. The paws are small, with a foot about 1.5 - 2 cm. The claws are short, dulled from constant digging.

The animal's fur on its back is brownish-ochre in color. It is not soft, but somewhat rough, short, and in older individuals it even turns into “soft needles,” like those of hedgehogs. A distinctive feature of voles is a dark stripe along the spine. The fur on the belly is light gray.

The male vole is practically no different in appearance from the female.

In order not to confuse the field mouse with its relative the brownie, pay attention to their differences

Field mice may well live in the house and in the garden, and domestic mice can live in the wild.

Lifestyle of a vole

Field mice are somewhat reminiscent of mini-moles in their lifestyle: they dig holes close to the surface of the earth and move along them. When digging, mice throw the earth away from them, so the mound turns out to be flat on one side, and the “entrance” into it is not from the top, like a mole’s, but from the side. In winter they move under snow cover.

They live in burrows or suitable shelters: under branches, stacks of straw, in barns, etc. If a mouse builds a hole for itself, it makes it extensive and branched. At a depth of 5 to 35 cm there is a labyrinth from 4 to 25 m long with several storage rooms and a sleeping nest, as well as several emergency exits, one of which leads to a source of drinking water.

During the daytime, field mice prefer to hide underground and sleep, but during the day they become active. They crawl to the surface and look for food, gnawing almost everything they encounter along the way: plant roots, flower bulbs, tubers, and the bark at the bottom of trees. In search of suitable feeding, they can make real migrations.

Mice run quickly, moving with a “jumping” gait. They know how to swim, but prefer to avoid it. They often settle in colonies, often numerous: 1 or several female relatives and several generations of their offspring.

How long does a vole live?

The average lifespan of a vole mouse in the wild is 1-2 years, as they have many natural enemies and dangers. If everything goes particularly well in the life of a mouse, it can live up to 7-12 years.

Harm to humans

Mice cause great harm by gnawing everything they come across. The situation is complicated by the fact that they multiply quickly. Voles are a threat to crop production. In their habitats, germination rate decreases and the yield of grain, fruit and berry crops decreases. It is necessary to get rid of mice as quickly as possible - this is the only way to save the harvest. Voles are carriers of parasites and many diseases, some of which are dangerous to humans and domestic animals.

How does a mouse harm agriculture?

Voles cause the greatest damage to various types of grain crops. First they eat seeds, then young shoots, then ripened grains. Just a hundred rodents can reduce the yield from a hectare-sized field by half. They destroy stocks of grain, potatoes, beets, tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots in storage. Once in a cellar, basement or greenhouse, mice eat everything indiscriminately.

The vole eats root crops, flower bulbs, bark, roots, shoots, stems, and leaves of plants, which leads to their death, stunted growth and reduced yield. The animals gnaw the trunks of fruit and ornamental trees. Without the bark, which provides them with nutrients and moisture, they wither or die if it is destroyed in a circle. Mice eat hawthorn, apple, and cherry with particular pleasure.

What diseases does a rodent carry?

The field mouse is a carrier of the following diseases:

• Leptospirosis. The most common infection in the world, the pathogens of which parasitize animals. It affects the liver, spleen, lungs, blood vessels, and central nervous system, but most deaths occur due to kidney damage and the development of renal failure. The main route of infection is through damaged skin.
• Salmonellosis. Acute and dangerous intestinal infection. Characterized by weakness, chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, intoxication and dehydration.
• Hemorrhagic fever. A disease of a viral nature. The pathogen damages blood vessels, causes their inflammation, which causes hypoxia to develop, affecting the heart, lungs, brain, and kidneys. It is fraught with the development of hemorrhages, acute renal failure, coma, infectious-toxic shock.
• Brucellosis. The musculoskeletal system most often suffers from pathogens, but they can affect many systems and organs. The disease can become chronic. Symptoms vary depending on the site of infection. The most characteristic are fever, muscle and joint pain.
• Tularemia. The disease occurs infrequently - no more than several hundred cases per year in Russia. It affects the mucous membranes, lymph nodes, skin, and lungs. Causes fever, intoxication, weakness, muscle and headache, and can be complicated by pneumonia, arthritis, meningitis.
• Foot and mouth disease. A viral disease with a severe course, the symptoms of which are fever, body aches, headache, painful urination, swollen lymph nodes, salivation, erosion on the mucous membranes and skin.

Infections are transmitted not only by a bite. You can become infected by inhaling air containing particles of animal fur and feces, or by removing mouse corpses without protective gloves. Viruses and bacteria can be contained in products gnawed by mice and later eaten by humans, so if traces of mouse activity are found in cellars and other storage areas, the remaining supplies should be destroyed.

Lifestyle and habitat

Mice reproduce quickly, they are hardy and adapt to almost any natural conditions. Therefore, you can meet them in any corner of the planet. They live in Siberia, the Volga region, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. Vole nests are found even in northern India and in the arid regions of Mongolia and China. Mice raid crops in South and North America and the Scandinavian countries. But they are not able to live for a long time in a hot climate, therefore, starting from the desert regions of North Africa, rodents are not found.

Voles are animals that do not hibernate. That is, mice need a supply of grain for the entire winter. Here they do not limit themselves; they drag an abundance of food into their holes. One mouse can eat up to 4 kg of grain, which it simply cannot eat. Most of it dies, but at the same time releases the heat necessary to warm the winter shelter and nurse the offspring.

It is not entirely true that voles live only in deep, winding burrows underground. Many mice choose the hollows of trees, the places between their huge roots. Rodents thrive in haystacks that are not collected for the winter and in the attics of residential, including abandoned, premises. They can be found in barns, cattle sheds, poultry houses and pigsties.

Description of the field mouse, belonging to the animal world

The field mouse looks almost like a house mouse, but, according to many, it is much cuter. She has a more miniature muzzle, a short tail, and neat compact ears. The common field mouse is included in the hamster subfamily, which explains its external similarity to these domesticated rodents.

This small animal has a discreet coloration, which allows it to remain inconspicuous to numerous predators. It is difficult for large birds to see a mouse from the air - it blends in with compacted grass, bushes, and soil. And terrestrial predators have difficulty distinguishing it in thickets of rye or wheat. A person rarely manages to detect the mouse itself or its offspring, but only traces of its invasion:

• spoiled grain;
• litter;
• gnawed root vegetables.

The search for the pest is hampered by its nocturnal lifestyle and incredibly sensitive hearing. During the day it is almost impossible to catch a vole destroying stocks. If she nevertheless decided to make a raid during the day, she would definitely pick up sound vibrations at a distance of several tens of meters. And she only needs a few seconds to retreat from the “crime scene.”

This mouse with a wide black stripe on its back is larger than the rodent that lives in houses and outbuildings. With large food supplies and the absence of predators from which one has to constantly run away, the animal can reach 12 cm in length. This is approximately 30–75% of the total size. The mouse has a flexible, mobile body, so it can easily:

• climbs trees;
• penetrates narrow winding passages.

The tail of voles is long, for example, in adults it reaches 8–10 cm. From a distance it may seem that it is completely naked, but this is not so. The mouse's tail is covered with:

• durable protective leather scales;
• tiny coarse hairs.

The fact that it is cold in rodents is not true. Its temperature is the same as that of the entire vole body. The tail can be cold, but only if the animal is frozen.

This part of the vole is a kind of thermostat. In hot conditions, its blood vessels constrict, slowing down blood circulation and helping to cool the body. In winter, on the contrary, they expand. The temperature of the blood passing through them rises. Entering the body, it quickly warms it.

The tail also serves as a balancer for the vole, allowing it to maintain balance when crawling along thin tree branches. And in a fight, a rodent can use it to fight off small predators - rats and birds.

Coat and color

According to the zoological description, the vole differs from other species of mice by a wide stripe on its back. It starts between the ears, runs throughout the body and ends in the tail area. The area of ​​the brown stripe has the longest, thickest hairs. They are quite rigid, unlike the voles located on the stomach. There are hairs:

• greyish;
• softer;
• short.

Even a small vole has a mobile, muscular body. The mouse easily climbs the stems of cereals, flexible branches of bushes and trees, maintaining excellent balance. The mouse begins to store fat closer to autumn in order to wait out the harsh winter without any problems. The rodent's limbs are short - the length of the largest specimen does not exceed 3 cm.

Each paw is equipped with claws dulled from regular digging of the ground in search of food. They are powerful enough to resist a predator attack. With the help of its claws, the vole easily climbs not only trees, but also the brickwork of houses and barns. In newborn mice they are thin and sharp, but as they grow older they become flat and wide.

Head

The field mouse's ears are round and small, and its black eyes are set close to each other. The muzzle is pointed, but not as pointed as that of rodents living in houses, barns, and courtyard buildings. The hair on the vole's head is shorter and resembles bristles when touched. In some species, the hairs on this part of the body are somewhat lighter and thinner.

Description of the field mouse:

• Body length no more than 12 cm, excluding tail. The thin tail makes up 70% of the body length.
• The body is oblong. The hind feet are elongated and protrude forward when running.
• Long muzzle, small round ears, oblong nose.

The fur is hard, rough, short. The colors can be different - gray, brown, ocher or beige. A straight line of black or brown shade runs along the spine. The color of the abdomen is snow-white. At the base the hairline has a dark tint. Small spots may be present on the chest.

Field mouse

The field mouse, an animal from a number of rodents that belongs, like other mice, to the family of mouse-shaped rodents, is easy to recognize. Unlike other types of mice, its most characteristic feature is an expressive black stripe that runs from the forehead along the back. The hair on the back is reddish-brown. The throat, chest and belly are white. In size, the field mouse differs little from the forest mouse. The body length is about 12 cm, but unlike the wood mouse, its ears are short, bent forward, and do not reach the eyes. The tail, with clearly visible rings formed by horny scales, is somewhat shorter than the body.

Field mice are widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Ukraine - from Polesie and the Carpathians to the coasts of the Black and Azov Seas, except for the dry areas of the southern regions of the Sivash steppes and the central blocks of continuous forests of Polesie and the forest-steppe zone. In small forests, especially in copses and shelterbelts, there are no fewer of them than wood mice.

Penetrating west into the Carpathians, field mice most often accumulate in cultivated fields, in mountainous areas, rising up to 1350 m above sea level. Within their distribution, field mice usually live in moist areas. These are meadows, areas overgrown with bushes, weeds in cultivated areas, etc. They also readily live in gardens, vineyards, on the edges of dense forest plantations, and in river valleys. In the south they hold on

Field mice live in shallow, but fairly long, simple-structured burrows dug between the roots of trees and shrubs. In winter, a significant number of field mice accumulate in stacks of straw, and in gardens and woodlands - under fallen leaves; they also climb into utility and residential buildings and even into granaries. The field mouse is active almost the whole day, but more often it can be found at night. It does not hibernate in winter and is active throughout the year.

For most of the year, field mice feed on leaves, green stems and seeds of various wild herbs, berries, and during the ripening of bread, grain. Their diet often includes small insects, their larvae and other invertebrate animals.

In spring, field mice actively breed. To hatch babies, they usually build a nesting chamber at a shallow depth (about 20 cm and only occasionally deeper), well covered with chopped straw and dry grass. Two or three exits lead from the chamber to the surface of the earth. Quite often they also build semi-underground nests, which they place under heaps of straw, between stones, etc.

By gnawing green bark and shoots on fruit trees and in forest plantations, field mice cause significant damage to forestry and gardening, and in years favorable for reproduction they multiply in such numbers that they cause great losses to grain crops (wheat, rye, corn, etc. .), destroying green shoots and ripe grain. As a harmful rodent, field mice cause significant harm in the Polesie regions.

Field mice have many enemies in nature: foxes, ferrets, weasels and various birds of prey, especially owls, feed on them.

Diet

The diet of field mice is quite varied and varies depending on the “place of residence”.

The animal feeds very actively and can eat as much food in a day as it weighs.

• In the steppe. The vole usually feeds on grasses and plant roots, insect larvae, and cereals;
• In the meadow. The field mouse eats succulent stems and bulbs of plants, grass seeds, various berries, and small insects;
• In the forest. Field mice can often be found on forest edges; they eagerly eat tree bark, green leaves, buds, young shoots of bushes, mushrooms, nuts and berries;
• In the taiga. The field mouse, which lives in Siberian forests, is slightly different in color; its fur has a reddish tint. In the taiga, the vole has something to eat: lingonberries, cranberries, nuts, various small insects, cones, buds and tree leaves.

Narrow skull

Appearance: The body is much larger than the small head, the ears are hidden in gray-brown fur. The color of the light patches of fur ranges from ocher to dark brown. The tail is long, body length is up to 125 mm.

Distribution: open areas of mountainous regions, alpine meadows, Kazakhstan, central Mongolia, Bashkiria, southern regions of northwestern China, western Urals, Amur, Tien Shan region.

Food: sedge, broad-leaved grasses, legumes, young shoots, bark of young trees.

Reproduction: up to five litters with 5-7 cubs.

Features: they are capable of independently searching for food on the 10th day of life; in preparation for winter, they make large reserves.

Possible harm to farmers: the vole can destroy grain fields for its own reserves and damage orchards.

Features of reproduction

The Polish mouse becomes mature after 3 months. A young female gives birth to 1 to 3 offspring, and grows up to 12 in one year. Vaginism lasts for about 25 days.

The children are described as blind, naked, and absolutely hopeless. A photo of the field mice after the populace is presented below. The female gives birth to young offspring for up to 1 month, then the young continue to breed. They farm their own living things and extract hedgehogs.

Reproduction of the mouse After 9-10 days after the canopy, the mouse is again ready for watering. Each river produces new offspring up to 4 times. The favorable period for this begins with the grass and continues until the harvest.

Where do mice live in the wild?

Mice spend most of their time in burrows, raising offspring, escaping danger, storing food, or resting after eating it. The maximum depth of the burrow is 70 cm, and the total length of the passages can reach 20 m. Some species of mice build nests in thickets of tall grasses (little mouse) or live in tree roots and old stumps (forest mouse).

Minks can be temporary or permanent, and the latter can be summer or winter. Temporary housing for animals is simply planned. The permanent mouse hole has a spacious nesting chamber and several entrances. In summer burrows where rodents give birth, bedding is created from fluff, blades of grass, shavings and feathers. And in winter, a pantry is set up for food supplies.

Types and description of voles

Mice-voles belong to a large species of rodents of the genus gray voles.

Underground

Description:

• Adults reach 10.5 centimeters;
• They have a rather short tail - 1/4 of the entire body;
• The back is dark gray in color, the sides are slightly lighter, the belly is an even gray color;
• The tail is gray-brown above and gray-white below.

Habitat:

• Lives in the European part of Russia;
• Prefers deciduous forests with abundant vegetation.

What it eats:

• Bulbs;
• Rhizomes;
• Insects;
• Acorns;
• Nuts.

Reproduction:

• Up to four pregnancies per year;
• From 4 to 6 mice are born.

REFERENCE: The lack of usual food will force wild animals to destroy agricultural land.

Distinctive features:

• The eyes and ears are smaller, unlike most representatives of the genus;
• Females have only four nipples;
• There are five soft pads on the hind legs;
• There are many different passages in the equipped burrows.

Damage caused:

• With a small harvest of acorns, wild boars and bears can be left without a significant amount of their usual diet;
• In low-yield times, they pose a great threat to grain and vegetable storage facilities.

Brazilian (acodon)

Description:

1. Body size 12 centimeters;
2. Gray coat, white or brown undercoat;
3. Long ponytail.

Lives in South America. It feeds on plants and can eat both tops and roots.

Reproduction:

1. Bears offspring twice a year;
2. From 4 to 5 pups are born.

Damage caused:

• Destroys crops in agricultural fields;
• Spoils winter supplies that have not been heat treated.

REFERENCE: It is the most common species among small rodents in South America.

Dark vole

Description:

• The head is round in shape;
• Compact body;
• The tail makes up 1/3 of the whole body;
• The skin is a rich gray color;
• Small ears with elongated pads on the hind legs.

Habitat:

• Lives in the European part of Russia - in the western and middle regions of Siberia;
• Prefers meadows, river openings, clearings, uncultivated areas of vegetable gardens and agricultural lands.

What it eats:

• Young grass;
• Bark;
• By shoots;
• Rarely insects.

Reproduction:

• Reaches sexual maturity at the age of 1-2 months;
• Bears three offspring per year;

REFERENCE: They live in colonies, united from several broods of one pair.

Six pups are born, occasionally 15.

Damage caused:

• They chew off the bark, and as a result, young trees die;
• Destroying stocks in storage facilities.

HELP: Partially damaged vegetables begin to rot.

Narrow skull

Description:

• Quite a small head in relation to the body;
• The ears are hidden in gray-brown fur;
• Light inclusions from ocher to dark brown;
• Long ponytail;
• An adult reaches 12.5 centimeters.

Habitat:

1. Lives in Kazakhstan, Central Mongolia, Bashkiria, southern regions of China, western Urals, Amur and Tien Shan regions;
2. Prefers open areas of mountainous regions and alpine meadows.

What it eats:

1. Bears up to five offspring per year;
2. From 5 to 7 pups are born.

Distinctive features:

• On the tenth day of life they are able to look for food themselves;
• They stock up on a lot of food for the winter.

Damage caused:

• Destroys grain fields;
• Damages gardens.

Flat skull

Description:

• Body size up to 12.5 centimeters;
• The skull is flattened, its height is half its width;
• The area between the eyes is depressed;
• Long coat, ash-gray with brownish coloring;
• The abdomen is slightly lighter than the main color;
• Ears are clearly visible, long antennae;
• The tail is yellowish or white.

Habitat:

• Lives in Altai, in the Kazakh Highlands, Mongolia;
• Prefers coastal areas of rivers and swampy areas.

Reproduction:

• Brings up to three offspring per year;
• From 5 to 7 pups are born.

REFERENCE: When stocks decrease, it encroaches on green shoots.

Distinctive features:

• Quite agile: in a jump it covers a distance of 50 centimeters, while rising 40 centimeters from the ground;
• Stores up to 10 kg of food in its burrow;
• In rocky areas, it seals cracks with pebbles, using its droppings as a bonding agent.