What is the name of the mouse that lives in the field? - briefly
The creature is commonly called a field mouse. It is a small rodent of the genus Apodemus that inhabits open grasslands.
What is the name of the mouse that lives in the field? - in detail
The mouse that inhabits open grasslands is commonly referred to as the field mouse. This designation applies to several small rodent species within the genus Apodemus and Microtus that are adapted to life in cultivated and uncultivated fields.
Field rodents are characterized by:
- Compact body length of 6–10 cm, tail proportionally long (80 % of body length).
- Fur coloration ranging from brown to gray, providing camouflage among stalks and soil.
- Acute hearing and whisker sensitivity for detecting predators in open terrain.
- Primarily nocturnal activity, foraging on seeds, insects, and tender plant shoots.
- Breeding cycles that produce 3–5 litters per year, each litter containing 3–7 offspring.
Ecologically, these mice serve as both seed dispersers and prey items. Their burrowing behavior aerates soil, while their population fluctuations influence predator abundance, including owls, foxes, and snakes. Agricultural impact varies; low densities may aid weed control, whereas high densities can cause crop loss through seed consumption and nesting damage.
The name “field mouse” originates from the animal’s habitual presence in cultivated lands and natural meadows, distinguishing it from woodland or house-dwelling relatives. Scientific literature consistently uses the term to describe the suite of species sharing this habitat preference, despite taxonomic differences among regional populations.