Mammals · Rodentia · Muridae

Harvest Mouse

Micromys minutus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The smallest rodent in Europe. It is told apart from a wood mouse by its blunt muzzle, its short ears and, above all, by its prehensile tail, a feature unique among European murids and the mark of a climbing animal.

Weight

6 g on average

Size

4 cm – 6 cm

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Omnivore Nocturnal Solitary Mammal

46countries 69parks5same family

Fun facts

It weaves a spherical nest among the stems of tall grass, halfway up from the ground: a structure no other European species builds in the same way.
Mechanised mowing affects it more than any other rodent, because it destroys those aerial nests outright.
Its genus separated from Apodemus and Mus in the Pliocene, some 7 million years ago, and today contains a single species.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Meadows and cereal crops, generally below 200 m although it has been recorded up to 1,018 m. In Spain it is confined to the Cantabrian strip, from northern Navarre to the eastern half of Asturias, plus northern Burgos and Álava
Sexual maturity: 40 days
Gestation / incubation: 20 days
Litter / clutch size: An average of 5.4 young per litter, with up to three litters between May and October; the young become independent at two weeks

Sources consulted: Nores 2003, Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles (MNCN-CSIC); Nores y Jardón 1981, Bol. Cien. Nat. IDEA 28; MITECO - Inventario Español de Especies Terrestres; SECEM (Galemys 15); IUCN Red List