FIELD MOUSE

also called Wood Mouse, in general, any mouse that normally lives in fields; more strictly, any of about seven species of mice of the genus Apodemus, family Muridae (order Rodentia). The members of this genus are small, long-tailed, and typically mouselike. They are found in fields, woodlands, and mountain meadows in the warm and temperate parts of Eurasia. They are grayish, light brown, or reddish brown and have soft fur, except for the bristly-haired A. speciosus of the Orient. Their length is 6 to 12 cm (2 to 5 inches) without the tail. Field mice generally live in burrows and build nests of grass and other plants. At times, they enter barns or houses. They jump well, and some are good climbers. They eat seeds, roots, and other plant material, occasionally damaging crops or young trees. Females bear up to six litters of two to nine young in a year; gestation takes about a month.