Where does a field mouse live and what does it eat? - briefly
Field mice inhabit open habitats such as grasslands, agricultural fields, and hedgerows, often sheltering in shallow burrows or under vegetation cover. Their diet consists mainly of seeds, grains, green plant material, and occasional insects.
Where does a field mouse live and what does it eat? - in detail
Field mice (genus Apodemus) occupy a range of open and semi‑open environments across temperate regions. Typical settings include grasslands, cultivated fields, meadows, hedgerows, and the edges of forests. They favor areas with dense ground cover such as tall grasses, low shrubs, and leaf litter, which provide shelter from predators and harsh weather. Burrows are shallow, often excavated beneath a tuft of grass or within the root zone of perennial plants; some individuals also use abandoned rabbit or vole tunnels. In agricultural landscapes, field mice frequently inhabit crop rows, especially during planting and harvest when seed availability peaks.
Their diet reflects the seasonal abundance of resources:
- Spring: young shoots, tender leaves, and emerging insects (e.g., beetle larvae, aphids).
- Summer: seeds of grasses and cereals, fresh fruits, and a higher proportion of arthropods.
- Autumn: mature grains, nuts, and fallen fruits; increased consumption of stored seeds.
- Winter: dried seeds, husks, and the occasional bark or cambium when other food is scarce.
Field mice are opportunistic omnivores, capable of shifting between plant material and animal prey according to availability. They gather and cache seeds in shallow chambers near their burrows, ensuring a reliable food reserve during periods of scarcity. Their foraging behavior is primarily nocturnal, reducing exposure to diurnal predators while allowing access to nocturnally active insects.