Mammal · GBIF taxon 2437761
Striped Field Mouse
Apodemus agrariusAlso known as Black-striped Field Mouse
Striped field mice are easily recognized by the prominent black stripe running down the center of their reddish-brown backs. These active rodents construct shallow burrows with multiple chambers for nesting and food storage, shifting their activity from nocturnal to diurnal depending on the season. They play a vital role in the food web, serving as a primary food source for numerous birds of prey and small carnivores across their vast Eurasian range.
TerrestrialBurrowingCrepuscular
- diet
- Omnivorous, feeding on seeds, berries, green vegetation, insects, and small invertebrates.
- family
- Muridae
- threats
- Habitat destruction, agricultural intensification, rodenticides, and domestic predators.
- life Span
- Typically 1 to 1.5 years in the wild.
LC
Can carry hantaviruses and may bite if handled; observe from a distance and do not touch.
Carries Hantaan virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans, and can deliver a sharp bite.
Never handle wild mice or clean their nesting areas without proper respiratory protection.- Spotting: Look for them along forest edges and crop fields during dawn and dusk.
- Tracks: Search for tiny, four-toed front prints and five-toed hind prints in soft mud.
- Handling: Avoid trapping or handling wild rodents to prevent bites and disease transmission.