Harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) captured on survey after dark

Last week I joined Surrey Wildlife Trust on a harvest mouse survey in wetland habitat beside the River Wey.

Harvest mice are tiny rodents 5cm in length. Their remarkable prehensile tails add an extra 6cm. They live in long tussocky grassland, reedbeds, hedgerows and around woodland edges, building a spherical nest of tightly woven grass, high up amongst the stems. We found several examples at this site:

Harvest mouse nests are woven from a mixture of living and cut grasses which provides excellent camouflage

Nests are the most obvious sign of harvest mouse activity since the animals are especially active around dawn and dusk and rarely spotted in the thick vegetation.

Dozens of rodent-friendly traps of different designs were set in the thick wetland reeds and grasses. Surrey Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers returned three times each day over the course of a week – at dawn, midday and dusk – to ensure that no trapped animals were left for any longer than necessary.

Rodent trap baited with peanut butter, bird seed and dried blowfly larvae

After retrieval from the trap harvest mice are transferred to a transparent bag for weighing and sexing:

Harvest mouse recovered from trap

Harvest mice weigh only 5g on average

Once the details of each rodent have been recorded a small patch of fur is trimmed to identify any animals which are subsequently re-captured.

Marking harvest mouse – a delicate operation!

The highest number of individuals captured was 12 one morning, making this the most abundant site for harvest mice in the county at present.

Harvest mice require very careful handling by trained experts

With thanks to Surrey Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers.

Related links:

• More harvest mouse photos: Dom Greves Photography
• The Mammal Society: Harvest mouse
• Surrey Wildlife Trust