Wood mouse

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Wood mouse
ApodemusSylvaticus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Apodemus
Species:
A. sylvaticus
Binomial name
Apodemus sylvaticus
Apodemus sylvaticus distribution.PNG
Apodemus sylvaticus range (in green)
Synonyms

Mus sylvaticusLinnaeus, 1758

The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) is a murid rodent native to Europe and northwestern Africa. It is closely related to the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) but differs in that it has no band of yellow fur around the neck, has slightly smaller ears, and is usually slightly smaller overall: around 90 mm (3.54 in) in length and 23 g in weight. [2] It is found across most of Europe and is a very common and widespread species, is commensal with people and is sometimes considered a pest. [1] Other common names are long-tailed field mouse, field mouse, common field mouse, and European wood mouse. [3] This species is a known potential carrier of the Dobrava sequence of hantavirus which affects humans and may pose serious risks to human health. [4]

Contents

Upper front teeth with a smooth inner surface which distinguish the wood mouse from the house mouse Apodemus sylvaticus-gt.jpg
Upper front teeth with a smooth inner surface which distinguish the wood mouse from the house mouse

Habitat and distribution

"Harvest, Wood Mouse" illustration from British Mammals by A. Thorburn, 1920 Wood Mouse.JPG
"Harvest, Wood Mouse" illustration from British Mammals by A. Thorburn, 1920

Wood mice inhabit forests, grasslands, and cultivated fields, tending to seek out more wooded areas in winter. [5] Almost entirely nocturnal and terrestrial, wood mice burrow extensively, build nests of plants and live in buildings during harsh seasons. It is one of the most intensively studied species in the genus. In Europe, it ranges north to Scandinavia and east to Ukraine. The wood mouse is also found in northwestern Africa and on many Mediterranean islands. [6]

Diet

Wood mice are primarily seed eaters, [7] particularly seeds of trees such as oak, beech, ash, lime, hawthorn and sycamore. If seeds are plentiful on the ground, they carry them back to their nests/burrows for storage. [8] They may eat small invertebrates such as snails and insects, particularly in late spring and early summer when seeds are least available. Later in the season they will eat berries, fruits, fungi and roots. In winter, they may prey on hibernating bats, but this is still debatable. [9]

Behaviour

Wood mice are mainly active during the dark, probably having evolved so to avoid predation, employing several anti-predatory strategies, though breeding females may be more active in daylight in order to collect sufficient food. [10] While foraging, wood mice pick up and distribute visually conspicuous objects, such as leaves and twigs, which they then use as landmarks during exploration. [11] [12] If a wood mouse is caught by its tail, it can quickly shed the end of it, which may never regrow. [13] Despite its name, it prefers hedgerows to woodland. During the colder months, wood mice do not hibernate; however, during severe winter seasons they can fall into a torpid state, a decrease in physiological activity.

Predation

Predators of wood mice include foxes, snakes, weasels, birds of prey such as owls, cats, and dogs. [14]

Reproduction

The wood mouse has a breeding season from February to October in which multiple matings occur between males and females, resulting in scramble competition. Such behavioral characteristics result in sperm competition and multiple paternity litters. The society is polygynous with copulation resulting from scramble competition during reproductive periods. Males possess a sac known as the cauda epididymis, which stores sperm and lies underneath the scrotal protrusion. Temperature regulation ensures maximum sperm output.

One interesting observation about the species, in particular the males, is the morphology of the spermatozoa. They develop falciform (sickle-shaped) heads after meiosis and before spermiation (release during ejaculation). The hook located at the tip of the head adheres to the surface of the head prior to deployment. Propidium iodide staining revealed that only the basal surface of the hook is of nuclear origin. These apical hooks are deployed in the female reproductive tract (the mechanism responsible involved the remodeling of actin filaments in the hook). Deployed apical hooks combine with apical hooks and flagella of other spermatozoa. The aggregates of spermatozoa that result in form "mobile trains", which have experimentally been determined to possess better motility in the female reproductive tract. [15] The mobility of these mobile trains was also found to be influenced by premature acrosome reactions, altruistic acts performed by some spermatozoa for the benefit of other genetically similar gametocytes. This altruism follows a "green beard" mechanism in which spermatozoa discern the genetic similarity of surrounding gametocytes (such mechanisms are rare because they must code for a recognizable phenotype, as well as response mechanisms). Once spermatozoa of similar genotypes are identified, altruism genes are turned on to elicit a response that seeks to conserve the genes present in the other cell, even if it results in the destruction of the cell performing the action.

The gestation period of wood mice is of 25–26 days and each female produces on average four young per year. The offspring become independent after about three weeks and become sexually active after two months.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mouse</span> Small long-tailed rodent

A mouse is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse. Mice are also popular as pets. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are locally common. They are known to invade homes for food and shelter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spermatozoon</span> Motile sperm cell

A spermatozoon is a motile sperm cell, or moving form of the haploid cell that is the male gamete. A spermatozoon joins an ovum to form a zygote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fertilisation</span> Union of gametes of opposite sexes during the process of sexual reproduction to form a zygote

Fertilisation or fertilization, also known as generative fertilisation, syngamy and impregnation, is the fusion of gametes to give rise to a zygote and initiate its development into a new individual organism or offspring. While processes such as insemination or pollination, which happen before the fusion of gametes, are also sometimes informally referred to as fertilisation, these are technically separate processes. The cycle of fertilisation and development of new individuals is called sexual reproduction. During double fertilisation in angiosperms, the haploid male gamete combines with two haploid polar nuclei to form a triploid primary endosperm nucleus by the process of vegetative fertilisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acrosome reaction</span> Sperm-meets-egg process

For fertilization to happen between a sperm and egg cell, a sperm must first fuse with the plasma membrane and then penetrate the female egg cell to fertilize it. While the fusion of the sperm cell with the egg cell's plasma membrane is relatively straightforward, penetrating the egg's protective layers, such as the zona pellucida, presents a significant challenge. Therefore, sperm cells go through a process known as the acrosome reaction, which is the reaction that occurs in the acrosome of the sperm as it approaches the egg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House mouse</span> Species of mammal

The house mouse is a small mammal of the order Rodentia, characteristically having a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus Mus. Although a wild animal, the house mouse has benefited significantly from associating with human habitation to the point that truly wild populations are significantly less common than the semi-tame populations near human activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sperm competition</span> Reproductive process

Sperm competition is the competitive process between spermatozoa of two or more different males to fertilize the same egg during sexual reproduction. Competition can occur when females have multiple potential mating partners. Greater choice and variety of mates increases a female's chance to produce more viable offspring. However, multiple mates for a female means each individual male has decreased chances of producing offspring. Sperm competition is an evolutionary pressure on males, and has led to the development of adaptations to increase male's chance of reproductive success. Sperm competition results in a sexual conflict between males and females. Males have evolved several defensive tactics including: mate-guarding, mating plugs, and releasing toxic seminal substances to reduce female re-mating tendencies to cope with sperm competition. Offensive tactics of sperm competition involve direct interference by one male on the reproductive success of another male, for instance by mate guarding or by physically removing another male's sperm prior to mating with a female. For an example, see Gryllus bimaculatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-necked mouse</span> Species of mammal

The yellow-necked mouse, also called yellow-necked field mouse, yellow-necked wood mouse, and South China field mouse, is closely related to the wood mouse, with which it was long confused. It was only recognised as a separate species in 1894. It differs in its band of yellow fur around the neck and in having slightly larger ears and usually being slightly larger overall. Around 100 mm in length, it can climb trees and sometimes overwinters in houses. It is found mostly in mountainous areas of southern Europe, but extends north into parts of Scandinavia and Britain. It facilitates the spread of tick-borne encephalitis to humans and is a reservoir species for the Dobrava virus, a hantavirus that is responsible for causing haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sperm</span> Male reproductive cell in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction

Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction. Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, which are known as spermatozoa, while some red algae and fungi produce non-motile sperm cells, known as spermatia. Flowering plants contain non-motile sperm inside pollen, while some more basal plants like ferns and some gymnosperms have motile sperm.

<i>Apodemus</i> Genus of rodents

Apodemus is a genus of Muridae. The name is unrelated to that of the Mus genus, instead being derived from the Greek ἀπό-δημος.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern deer mouse</span> Species of mammal

Peromyscus maniculatus is a rodent native to eastern North America. It is most commonly called the eastern deer mouse; when formerly grouped with the western deer mouse, it was referred to as the North American deermouse and is fairly widespread across most of North America east of the Mississippi River, with the major exception being the lowland southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodland jumping mouse</span> Species of rodent

The woodland jumping mouse is a species of jumping mouse found in North America. It can jump up to 3 m (9.8 ft) using its extremely strong feet and long tail.

The Kashmir field mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large Japanese field mouse</span> Species of rodent

The large Japanese field mouse is a nocturnal species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algerian mouse</span> Species of rodent

The Algerian mouse, also known as the western Mediterranean mouse, is a wild species of mouse closely related to the house mouse, native to open habitats around the western Mediterranean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brush mouse</span> Species of rodent

The brush mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in mountainous areas of Mexico and the western United States at altitudes over 2,000 m (6,600 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California deermouse</span> Species of rodent

The California deermouse or California mouse is a species of rodent in the subfamily Neotominae in the family Cricetidae. It is the only species in the Peromyscus californicus species group. It is found in northwestern Mexico and central to southern California. It is the largest Peromyscus species in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy inland mouse</span> Species of rodent

The sandy inland mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. Also known as the Hermannsburg (Mission) false-mouse or Hermannsburg mouse, it is endemic to Australia and found widely yet sparsely through arid and semi-arid areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western jumping mouse</span> Species of rodent

The western jumping mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Zapodidae. It is found in Canada and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sperm motility</span> Process involved in the controlled movement of a sperm cell

Sperm motility describes the ability of sperm to move properly through the female reproductive tract or through water to reach the egg. Sperm motility can also be thought of as the quality, which is a factor in successful conception; sperm that do not "swim" properly will not reach the egg in order to fertilize it. Sperm motility in mammals also facilitates the passage of the sperm through the cumulus oophorus and the zona pellucida, which surround the mammalian oocyte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Kilda field mouse</span> Subspecies of rodent

The St Kilda field mouse is a subspecies of the wood mouse that is endemic to the Scottish archipelago of St Kilda, the island 40 miles (64 km) west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, and 100 miles (160 km) from mainland Scotland. Unique to the islands, the mouse is believed to have arrived on the boats of Viking settlers more than a millennium ago. It is not to be confused with the St Kilda house mouse, a subspecies of the house mouse which is now extinct.

References

  1. 1 2 Schlitter, D.; van der Straeten, E.; Amori, G.; Hutterer, R.; Kryštufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsainas, G. (2021) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Apodemus sylvaticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T1904A197270811. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T1904A197270811.en . Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  2. ↑ Alcántara, M. (1991). "Geographical variation in body size of the Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus L.". Mammal Review. 21 (3): 143–150. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.1991.tb00115.x.
  3. ↑ Wrobel, Murray. (2006). Elsevier's Dictionary of Mammals. Elsevier, ISBN   978-0-444-51877-4.
  4. ↑ Weidmann, Manfred; Schmidt, P.; Vackova, M.; Krivanec, K.; Munclinger, P.; Hufert, F. T. (February 2005). "Identification of Genetic Evidence for Dobrava Virus Spillover in Rodents by Nested Reverse Transcription (RT)-PCR and TaqMan RT-PCR". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 43 (2): 808–812. doi:10.1128/JCM.43.2.808-812.2005. ISSN   0095-1137. PMC   548048 . PMID   15695684.
  5. ↑ J. L. Tellería; T. Santos; M. Alcántara (1991). "Abundance and Food-Searching Intensity of Wood Mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) in Fragmented Forests" (PDF). Journal of Mammalogy. 72 (1): 183–187. doi: 10.2307/1381994 . JSTOR   1381994 . Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  6. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Wood mouse
  7. ↑ Fedriani, J. M. (2005). "Do frugivorous mice choose where or what to feed?". Journal of Mammalogy. 86 (3): 576–586. doi: 10.1644/1545-1542(2005)86[576:dfmcwo]2.0.co;2 . hdl: 10261/54625 .
  8. ↑ Phil Gates (6 September 2018). "Country diary: a close encounter with a wood mouse". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  9. ↑ Anne-Jifke Haarsma & Rutger Kaal (2016). "Predation of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) on hibernating bats". Population Ecology. 58 (4): 567–576. doi: 10.1007/s10144-016-0557-y . hdl: 2066/163408 .
  10. ↑ S. Halle & N.C. Stenseth (2012). Activity patterns in small mammals: An ecological approach. Springer. ISBN   9783642182648 . Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  11. ↑ Stopka, P.; et al. (April 2003). "Way-marking behaviour: an aid to spatial navigation in the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)". BMC Ecology. 3: 3. doi: 10.1186/1472-6785-3-3 . PMC   154096 . PMID   12697070.
  12. ↑ "Mice make their own signposts". Nature. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  13. ↑ Goaman, K., Amery, H. (1983). Mysteries & Marvels of the Animal World, p. 15.
  14. ↑ "The Mammal Society" (PDF). Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  15. ↑ Moore, Harry; et al. (2002). "Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse" (PDF). Nature. 418 (6894): 174–177. doi:10.1038/nature00832. PMID   12110888. S2CID   4413444.

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