The wood mouse is Britain’s commonest and most widespread species of rodent. There must be hundreds, if not thousands, in our nature reserve but they are rarely seen. Here are some of their personal details.
Names: Apodemus sylvaticus, European wood mouse, long-tailed field mouse, field mouse, common field mouse.
Appearance: russet brown fur, notably darker towards the spine, with white or grey underside; very protruding eyes, large ears, long tail.
Size: 81-103mm; tail 71-95mm.
Weight: 13-27g; about the same as a fun-size Mars Bar.
Lifestyle: burrowers, almost entirely nocturnal and terrestrial.
Life Span: few adults survive from one summer to the next.
Diet: omnivorous: seeds, fruit, nuts, and invertebrates such as earthworms, caterpillars, centipedes.
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 