Apodemus

Small Japanese wood mouse ( Apodemus argenteus )

The wood mice ( Apodemus ) are a rodent species from the group of Altweltmäuse ( Murinae ), with approximately 20 species. In Central Europe, used and known species are the wood mouse, the yellow-necked mouse and the mouse fire.

Features

Wood mice reach a body length 6-15 cm, which must be added a 7 to 15 centimeters long tail comes. The weight is 15 to 50 grams. Wood mice have a soft fur that is colored oberseits mostly gray or brown and turn white or gray. The paws are usually white, in some species, a yellow-red patch or a dorsal stripe is present. The tail is hairy and can be used in contrast to the otherwise quite similar dwarf mice not as a prehensile tail.

Dissemination and lifestyle

The distribution of wood mice extends over much of Eurasia from western Europe to Japan and southern China. Despite the name " wood mouse " long live does all kinds forests, many are inhabitants of open areas and fields. In English, therefore they bear the name of Field Mice (field mice), which is sometimes also translated into German, but here can lead to confusion with the unrelated Wühlmausgattung of field mice.

Most species do not penetrate into human dwellings, but can be significant as grain pests or disease carriers. They usually create deep burrows in which they build grass nests. Depending on the type, they can be day or nocturnal. Their diet consists of roots, seeds, berries, nuts and insects.

System

Wilson & Reeder distinguish 20 species:

• The field mouse ( Apodemus agrarius ) is widespread in Central and Eastern Europe and in eastern Asia.
• The Alps wood mouse ( Apodemus alpicola ) occurs in the Alps before to 2100 meters above sea level.
• The little Japanese wood mouse ( Apodemus argenteus ) is endemic in Japan.
• The Chevrier - wood mouse ( Apodemus chevrieri ) occurs in southern China.
• The South China wood mouse ( Apodemus draco) inhabits the eastern and southern China and adjacent areas of Myanmar and India.
• The Western rock mouse ( Apodemus epimelas ) lives on the Balkan Peninsula.
• The yellow-necked mouse or Large wood mouse ( Apodemus flavicollis ) is native to much of Europe and in Asia Minor.
• The Himalayan wood mouse ( Apodemus gurkha ) is known only from a few localities in Nepal and is considered IUCN as " critically endangered ".
• The Caucasus wood mouse ( Apodemus hyrcanicus ) lives in the eastern Caucasus and on the south coast of the Caspian Sea.
• The Sichuan - wood mouse ( Apodemus latronum ) occurs in southern China.
• The Eastern rock mouse ( Apodemus mystacinus ) inhabited Asia Minor.
• The Ward - wood mouse ( Apodemus pallipes ) is spread from Central Asia to the Himalayan region.
• The Korean wood mouse ( Apodemus peninsulae ) comes from eastern Siberia and many parts of China to Korea and the Japanese island of Hokkaido before.
• The Black Sea wood mouse ( Apodemus ponticus ) living east of the Black Sea in the Caucasus region.
• The cashmere wood mouse ( Apodemus rusiges ) occupied Kashmir.
• The Taiwan wood mouse ( Apodemus semotus ) is endemic to Taiwan.
• The Great Japanese wood mouse ( Apodemus speciosus ) inhabited large parts of Japan.
• The wood mouse or Small wood mouse ( Apodemus sylvaticus ) living in many parts of Europe and North West Africa.
• The Ural wood mouse ( Apodemus uralensis) is spread from Europe to central Asia.
• The steppe wood mouse ( Apodemus witherbyi ) comes from the southern Ukraine prior to the northern Iran.

The wood mice, together with the Ryukyu spiny rats ( Tokudaia ) and the extinct, formerly of Corsica and Sardinia -based orthodontic kind Rhagamys the Apodemus - group within the Altweltmäuse. Neither the externally similar dwarf mice ( Micromys ) nor to the rights mice ( Mus), a particularly close relationship.