Yellow-necked mouse
The yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) is a woodland mouse closely related to the wood mouse. In Britain it is much less common than the wood mouse and is closely tied to mature deciduous woodland.[1]
Description
The yellow-necked mouse is larger than the wood mouse. It is rich orange-brown above and white below, with a complete yellowish collar across the chest, which tells it apart. It also has larger ears, a longer and thicker tail and bulging eyes. The head and body measure 9.5 to 12 cm, the tail 8 to 11 cm, and adults weigh 14 to 45 g.[1]
Habitat and behaviour
It lives in long-established mature deciduous woodland with dead wood and undergrowth. In winter it may move into nearby gardens, hedgerows and roof spaces.[1] It feeds on tree seeds such as beech mast, and on buds, fruit and some insects. It is active only at night. It digs burrows up to about 50 cm deep, stores food underground, and forages up to 23 m high in trees. It breeds from February to October, often with three litters a year of two to eleven young.[2]
Distribution and history
In Britain the yellow-necked mouse lives mainly in south-east England and the counties along the Welsh border.[3] Like the hazel dormouse, it is largely missing from the Midlands.[4] It was not recognised in Britain until 1894, when it was described as very local. Yalden and Barrett think it is probably less abundant now than in 1900 because of the loss of old woodland, but they note there is no direct evidence of this.[5] Couzens and colleagues give a population of about 750,000, an estimate they say rests on inadequate data, and say there is no evidence of a decline. It does not live in Ireland.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Couzens, Dominic; Swash, Andy; Still, Robert; Dunn, Jon (2021). Britain's Mammals: A Field Guide to the Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland (Updated ed.). Princeton University Press. p. 88. ISBN 9780691224862.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Couzens, Dominic; Swash, Andy; Still, Robert; Dunn, Jon (2021). Britain's Mammals: A Field Guide to the Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland (Updated ed.). Princeton University Press. p. 89. ISBN 9780691224862.
- ↑ Yalden, Derek; Barrett, Priscilla (2010). The History of British Mammals. T & AD Poyser. ch. 4. ISBN 9781408128718.
- ↑ Yalden, Derek; Barrett, Priscilla (2010). The History of British Mammals. T & AD Poyser. ch. 5. ISBN 9781408128718.
- ↑ Yalden, Derek; Barrett, Priscilla (2010). The History of British Mammals. T & AD Poyser. ch. 9. ISBN 9781408128718.