Western Harvest Mouse

Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)

What they look like: The Western Harvest Mouse's coat is a reddish yellow color with some white on the underside of its belly. Its coloring reminds you of fall colors, Their eyes are round and shiny like buttons and their ears are round like saucers, lying close to their heads.

Their hind feet have 5 toes, while their front feet only have 4. Another famous mouse has only four fingers too! Do you know who? Mickey Mouse!

How big they are: The Western Harvest Mouse is around 2-3 inches long. The tail is around 2-3 inches long. If we do the math, the Western Harvest Mouse can be as large as 6 inches long and as small as four inches long from head to tail. It weighs between 8 and 17 grams, which is around the same weight as a handful of beans.

Where they live: The Western Harvest Mouse lives in all European countries except for Ireland, Spain and Scandinavia. It also lives in Siberia, China, and Taiwan. They can live in fields of grain for a short while but have to live in a place with tall grass to be comfortable. They build round nests for their homes that look like small bird's nests.

What they eat: The Western Harvest Mouse eats seeds, grain, and sometimes insects.

Behavior: The Western Harvest Mouse is active by day and night. It has so much energy that is climbs quickly and easily up and down the tall grasses where it lives. Its tail helps it climb down the tall grasses and lets it swing from the grass like a monkey in a tree.