Spotted mice?
Let our experts advise you without obligation.
House mouse, field mouse, garden mouse, bank vole, wood vole, or meadow vole: numerous species of mice live in America. But what native species of mice are there?
We will introduce you to the most critical types of mice in America and, at the same time, tell you which types of mice in your home environment you should take a closer look at. Find out everything about the appearance, habitat, as well as the biology and way of life of rodents (Rodentia).
Let our experts advise you without obligation.
( Mus domesticus )
The appearance of the house mouse is characterised by its mouse- to brown-grey fur upper and its rabbit-coloured, light fur underside. The body of the house mouse is about 7-10 cm long (trunk length), the tail is provided with clearly visible scale rings, only slightly hairy and about as long as the body. The weight of the house mouse is around 15-30 grams; in contrast to this, colour mice or white laboratory mice, which often reach 40-65 grams, are significantly heavier.
The house mouse is one of the most dangerous types of mice. As a vegetarian, the house mouse prefers grain, in whole grains, because of their higher energy content, as they can hold them with their front paws.
In contrast to rats, the house mouse does not live in packs but individually or in a family group. House mice are curious animals that try a lot and gnaw at almost everything without the intention of eating.
Due to the high reproduction rate and the short generation time, resistance to mouse poison/rodenticides occurs more frequently and more quickly in house mice. The house mouse uses any hay or paper-like material as a nesting material, lined with wool and body hair.
The habitat of the house mouse in Central Europe is near humans. Unlike the shrew or wood mouse, the house mouse prefers to live in houses, as well as farms, supermarkets or food shops.
House mice infest all buildings that offer them shelter and food, with only the amount of food affecting the number of mice. A water source is unnecessary for the house mouse, as the water contained in food is usually sufficient for the house mouse. Therefore, the house mouse tries to put the shelter as close as possible to the food source.
The range of action of house mice increases if there is either no shelter near the food source or if this is already occupied by other house mice. Usually, the house mouse’s radius of action is only a few meters. Thus, those who eat can pay little attention to their surroundings, and those who have enemies will prefer to eat in protected places.
( Microtus arvalis )
( Clethrionomys glareolus )
( Apodemus sylvaticus )
The appearance of the wood mouse is characterised by its small body size and relatively large eyes and ears. The wood mouse reaches a length of 17-19 cm, of which about 10 centimetres fall on the body and 8 cm on the tail. The soft fur has a brown-grey colour; the underside of the fur is grey-white. The tail is barely hairy and has an average of about 150 scale rings.
The habitat of the wood mouse is mainly in Europe, except the colder regions in Scandinavia. Unlike the shrew, the wood mouse prefers light forests and above all forest edges and slopes. However, the wood mouse also lives in agricultural areas, in parks, gardens and buildings. The latter is especially true in the colder months of spring, autumn and winter when the wood mouse penetrates human buildings like the house mouse.
The wood mouse usually builds its caves at a depth of about half a meter. There are two entrances and exits in the forest mouse’s building, a nest for the offspring and a storage area. The nest is mainly padded with straw, leaves and soft moss from the site. As an excellent climber, it also happens that the wood mouse populates caves in trees or nesting boxes for birds. The territory of a wood mouse usually covers a radius of up to 100 meters.
The wood mouse is a loner, crepuscular and nocturnal. However, she is very agile and a good runner, climber and jumper. Like many other species of mice, the wood mouse stays close to the ground and jumps or hops away with giant leaps when threatened. The escape reaction is very reminiscent of a kangaroo. The wood mouse jumps up to a meter, which has earned it the colloquial name “jumping mouse”.
The wood mouse does not hibernate but instead pushes into human buildings in the cold season and infects supplies such as flour, grain or fruit stocks there. That is why the wood mouse is classified as a pest, but this is only the case with mass reproduction.
( Microtus pennsylvanicus )