What is tail-belting?

Curling the tail onto the back in frost

Wagging the tail to warn others

How do people usually catch hantavirus?

By breathing in dust from dried droppings or urine

You find mouse droppings in a shed. What should you do?

Tell an adult, who cleans them with gloves and disinfectant

Striped Field Mouse

Apodemus agrarius

The striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) is a small rodent of fields, meadows, marshes and woodland edges. It lives in two separate areas, one from central Europe to Siberia and one in East Asia, and is easy to recognise by the single black stripe down its yellow-brown to rusty back. It breeds fast, eats seeds, plants and insects, and in parts of central Europe it is spreading into new places.

Also known as Black-striped field mouse, Black-striped mouse, Brandmaus (German)

Striped field mouse abilities

8.45 N average adult bite
Its chisel-like front teeth grow all its life, so it can keep gnawing hard seeds, grain and bark without wearing them out.
- Like all rodents, it has ever-growing incisors. Stem cells at the base of each tooth keep adding new tooth as the tip wears down.
- A 2025 study of 331 mice measured its bite for the first time: adults averaged 8.45 N, up to 11.77 N.
- That average bite pushes about 34 times as hard as the mouse’s own weight (an adult weighs about 25 g).
- Bite force grows with age: juveniles averaged 6.28 N.
Bite force by age
Adult8.45 N
Subadult7.40 N
Juvenile6.28 N
Averages from 331 striped field mice (2025).
Sources [5, 9]
22 days pregnancy
A female can raise several litters a year, and her pups can have their own young when they are only about 11 weeks old.
- Pregnancy lasts about 22 days, and a litter averages 5.7 pups.
- Females can have up to 6 litters a year; the average is about 3.
- Pups weigh about 1.9 g at birth, are weaned at about 27 days and can breed at about 76 days.
- On Jeju Island, South Korea, mice breed from March to November, with peaks in spring and autumn.
From pregnancy to parent
Pregnancy22 days
Birth to weaning27 days
Birth to first breeding76 days
Sources [1, 16, 17]
21 dodges in 143 meetingsStill debated
When a bigger mouse came after it, a striped field mouse sometimes stepped aside next to the doorway and waited, so the intruder came in and missed it.
- Scientists filmed wild mice visiting test boxes by a forest near Warsaw for seven months.
- Hearing another mouse in the entrance tunnel, the dodger turned its head to the sound, then moved to one side of the doorway.
- It dodged in 21 of 143 encounters (14.7%). In meetings with other species, 87.5% of the mice it dodged were bigger yellow-necked mice.
- The scientists think it may be a deliberate trick (tactical deception). Others may explain it differently, so it is still debated.
Sources [3]
−2.8 °C warmest it was seenStill debated
In frosty weather, striped field mice curl their tails onto their backs like a belt. Nobody is sure why yet.
- Over four winters near Warsaw, scientists saw 74 tail-belting events, 37 of them by striped field mice.
- It only happened below freezing: the warmest it was seen in this species was −2.8 °C.
- Their tails were as cold as the air, about −3 to −6 °C. Bank voles in the same boxes never did it.
- The scientists suggest it might protect the tail from frost, but this has not been tested.
Sources [13]
16.5 °C lowest body temperature
It does not hibernate, but some mice can let their body cool for a few hours to save energy, a state called daily torpor.
- In a Korean study, 8 of 21 females and 2 of 23 males went into daily torpor.
- Cooling began around 4–6 am, and most torpor bouts were between 6 am and noon.
- The lowest body temperature recorded was 16.5 °C.
- It stays active all winter: near Warsaw mice were filmed out and about at −6 °C.
Sources [13, 18]
Mid-Oct winter burrows ready
Before winter it digs a burrow and hides food in it, so it has a store when fields are bare.
- Its burrow is short and shallow, with a nest chamber.
- In soybean fields in north-east China, striped field mice and greater long-tailed hamsters had finished their winter burrows by 7–14 October, stocked with soybeans.
- The soybeans the rodents hid were richer in certain natural chemicals than the ones left in the field. Some of these chemicals stop moulds from growing.
Sources [1, 2, 14]
4 of 7 seed kinds it favouredStill debated
It is choosy about seeds, and scientists think smell may help it pick the ones that keep best.
- In a test in north-east China with seeds of seven plants, it favoured hazelnuts, oak acorns, Korean pine seeds and cherry stones.
- Soybeans hidden by mice and hamsters smelled different, richer in certain scent chemicals, from those left in the field.
- The scientists suggest the rodents may recognise these seeds by smell. That has not been tested directly.
Sources [12, 14]
8 vs 9 quantities some mice told apart
Some striped field mice learned to tell apart groups of shapes that differ by only one, such as 8 and 9, to win a food reward.
- Scientists trained mice to choose between cards showing different numbers of shapes.
- The mice easily told 5 from 10. Some also told 2 from 3, 5 from 6 and even 8 from 9.
- It was the first evidence of such precise quantity judgement in wild rodents.
- Mice differed a lot: some were far better at it than others.
Sources [19]

Tap a pin on the model or a part below.

1 black stripe, head to tail
- A single black stripe runs along the middle of the back, from the top of the head to the base of the tail. The rest of the back is yellow-brown to rusty brown, and the belly is paler and greyish.
- The stripe is so reliable that scientists use it to tell this mouse apart from other Apodemus mice in the wild.
- Back stripes have evolved many separate times in rodents. What this mouse’s stripe is for has not been tested.
Sources [1, 2, 3, 4]
- It is active at dusk and also by day. In summer it is out mostly at night, but in winter mostly by day.
- At night, tawny owls hunt it. Along a big river valley in Poland it was their most common prey.
Sources [2, 5, 6]
≈12 mm ear length
- Adult ears are about 12 mm long, measured on mice in Lithuania.
- In one study, a mouse that heard another mouse coming down a tunnel snapped its head towards the sound before it moved.
Sources [3, 7]
- Like house mice, it has long whiskers that sense air movement and the texture of surfaces.
- It finds its food on the ground, nose and whiskers close to the soil and leaf litter.
Sources [5, 8]
8.45 N average adult bite
- Its four front teeth (incisors) never stop growing. Stem cells at the base keep making new tooth as the tips wear away.
- In 2025 scientists measured its bite for the first time. Adults averaged 8.45 N, and the strongest reached 11.77 N.
- Younger mice bite more weakly: juveniles averaged 6.28 N and subadults 7.40 N.
- In farm areas it nibbles grain, and in tree nurseries it gnaws the bark of young saplings.
Sources [5, 9, 10]
- It eats seeds, grains, roots, green plants, berries, nuts and insects.
- Its gut changes with the seasons. In males, gut length and weight change through the year and shrink towards late autumn.
- In north-east China, offered seven kinds of seed, it chose Manchurian hazelnuts, Mongolian oak acorns, Korean pine seeds and Nanking cherry stones.
Sources [1, 2, 11, 12]
≈72 mm tail, shorter than the body
- The tail is about 72 mm long, shorter than the head and body (about 97 mm).
- In frosty weather near Warsaw, mice curled their tails onto their backs. Scientists call this newly described habit tail-belting.
- A thermal camera showed their tails were as cold as the air, −3 to −6 °C.
Sources [7, 13]
≈18 mm hind foot
- Its hind feet are about 18 mm long.
- It is an agile leaper and a good swimmer.
- It digs its own burrows, or uses natural shelters.
Sources [1, 2, 7]
- It digs a short burrow with a nest chamber not far below the surface.
- In north-east China, mice finish their winter burrows by mid-October and stock them with soybeans from the fields.
- In winter it may move into haystacks, barns and buildings. In Lithuania it is now most common in habitats changed by people.
Sources [2, 14, 15]
1.9 g a newborn pup
- Pups are born after a pregnancy of about 22 days, weighing about 1.9 g each.
- The mother has 8 nipples, and a litter averages 5 to 6 pups.
- Pups are weaned at about 27 days old and can breed themselves at about 76 days.
Sources [1, 16]

Real striped field mice

Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Some of them can change the 3D model.

AdultYellow-brown to rusty-brown back with one black stripe from head to tail, and a paler grey belly. Adults in Lithuania averaged 27–29 g, with a body about 97 mm long and a 72 mm tail.Can breed from about 76 days oldBlack stripe and whiskers up close, Belgorod region, Russia. Photo: Marina V. Arbuzova, CC BY-SA 3.0
AdultYellow-brown to rusty-brown back with one black stripe from head to tail, and a paler grey belly. Adults in Lithuania averaged 27–29 g, with a body about 97 mm long and a 72 mm tail.Can breed from about 76 days oldFrom above, the stripe runs from head to tail. Photo: Fibro, CC BY-SA 3.0
Whole body and tail, from a 2021 study of where the species livesPhoto: E. Shmukler, CC0
Mother and pupsPups are born pink and hairless after a pregnancy of about 22 days, each weighing about 1.9 g. A litter averages 5 to 6 pups, and the mother has 8 nipples.Weaned at about 27 daysA mother at her nest with a newborn pup, Bükk Mountains, Hungary. Photo: Siga, CC BY-SA 3.0
At the nest under a beech log, Bükk Mountains, HungaryPhoto: Siga, CC BY-SA 3.0
Mother and pupsPups are born pink and hairless after a pregnancy of about 22 days, each weighing about 1.9 g. A litter averages 5 to 6 pups, and the mother has 8 nipples.Weaned at about 27 daysPups about a week old, eyes still closed. Photo: Michael 709, CC0
Peeping out of a hollow stumpPhoto: Andrey Gulivanov, CC BY 2.0
Foraging among leaves in Łódź, PolandPhoto: Jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY 3.0

Striped field mouse by the numbers

Measured by scientists on thousands of wild mice, with comparisons you can picture.

Weight: 27–29 g; average adults in Lithuania; adults range from 13 to 40 g⁠[7, 5]
Head and body: ≈97 mm; plus a tail of about 72 mm⁠[7]
Tail: ≈72 mm; about three-quarters of the head-and-body length⁠[7]
Bite force: 8.45 N; adult average; the strongest bite measured was 11.77 N; About 34 times its own weight⁠[5]
Pregnancy: 22 days; from mating to birth⁠[16]
Litter size: 5.7 pups; average; up to 7 unborn pups counted in mothers on Jeju⁠[16, 17]
Litters a year: up to 6; about 3 on average⁠[1, 16]
Weight at birth: 1.9 g; per pup; About 7% of a 27 g adult⁠[16, 7]
Grown up at: 76 days; age at first breeding; weaned at about 27 days⁠[16]
Lifespan: under 18 months; typical life in the wild; 2.2 years is the record in captivity⁠[3, 16]

Striped field mouse myths and facts

Some of these you may have heard. Here is what the evidence says.

0 of 8 answered

“Its black stripe is camouflage that hides it in tall grass.”
“Striped field mice sleep through the winter.”
“It is just a house mouse with a stripe.”
“A female can have up to six litters in a year.”
“Mice only come out at night.”
“Its front teeth never stop growing.”
“Every striped field mouse carries hantavirus.”
“Striped field mice are expert tree climbers.”

Striped field mouse records

A small mouse with some big firsts.

Number whiz
8 vs 9
Striped field mouse
first wild rodent shown to judge quantities this precisely (2019)⁠[19]
The first hantavirus
1976
Striped field mice in Korea
Hantaan virus was found in these mice, solving the mystery of Korean haemorrhagic fever⁠[25]
Korea’s commonest mammal
No. 1
Striped field mouse
described as the most abundant mammal in Korea⁠[26]
Top owl snack
858 of 6,355
Striped field mouse
the most common prey in tawny owl pellets along a large river valley in Poland (13.5%)⁠[6]
Most often caught
12,476
Striped field mouse
small mammals of 15 species were collected in a long Korean study; striped field mice were the most frequent⁠[27]
A range split for ages
12,000 years
Striped field mouse
how long its western and eastern ranges have been separated; spreading mice may close the gap⁠[28]

A year in the life of a striped field mouse

Life moves fast for a mouse that may live less than 18 months.

Winter
Out in the frost
No breeding. Mice stay active, mostly by day, and some shelter in haystacks and barns. In hard frost they may curl their tails onto their backs.⁠[17, 2, 13]
March
Breeding begins
On Jeju Island breeding starts in March, with a first peak in spring.⁠[17]
Spring
First litters
After a 22-day pregnancy, about 5 or 6 pink, hairless pups are born, each weighing about 1.9 g.⁠[16]
Summer
Night shift
In summer the mice are mostly active at night. Spring pups are weaned at about 27 days and can breed at about 76 days, so they can have pups of their own the same year.⁠[2, 16]
Autumn
Second baby boom
A second breeding peak comes in autumn, and mouse numbers are usually highest in autumn.⁠[17, 7, 15]
October
Stocking the larder
In north-east China, winter burrows are finished by mid-October and stocked with seeds such as soybeans.⁠[14]
November
Last litters
Breeding ends. In Korea, young mice are most numerous in late autumn and winter.⁠[17, 27]
A life
Fast and short
Most wild mice live less than 18 months. The record in captivity is 2.2 years.⁠[3, 16]

Where striped field mice live

Its range stretches from central Europe to East Asia, in two separate pieces, and it is spreading.

2 ranges
split in two
One range runs from central Europe into Siberia; the other covers East Asia, including China and Korea. A gap around Transbaikalia separates them.⁠[10, 28]
1996
first found in south-east Austria
It has kept spreading there since.⁠[23]
Since 2010
spreading in south-west Slovakia
It was found at every study site, and was the commonest small mammal in 2 of 3 areas.⁠[29]
≈20%
of small mammals caught in Lithuania
Numbers rose sharply after the 1990s, and it is now most common in places changed by people.⁠[15]

Climate models suggest its range will keep moving north-east, while some southern steppe habitat may be lost.

Striped field mice and hantavirus

Like many wild rodents, striped field mice can carry germs. Here is what is known, and how to stay safe.

1976
a mystery solved
During the Korean War (1950–1953), several thousand UN soldiers fell ill with Korean haemorrhagic fever. In 1976 scientists traced its cause, Hantaan virus, to striped field mice.⁠[25]
No signs
the mice don’t look ill
Infected mice showed no signs of illness, but passed the virus in their urine, saliva and droppings.⁠[30]
Breathing in
the main way people catch it
People are usually infected by breathing in dust from dried mouse urine or droppings. Bites are rare.⁠[31, 24]
Not catching
between people
The hantaviruses these mice carry do not spread from person to person.⁠[31]
5 minutes
soak before wiping
Adults clean up droppings wearing gloves: no sweeping or vacuuming, spray with disinfectant, leave it 5 minutes, wipe with paper towels, then wash hands.⁠[32]

Never touch wild mice, their nests or their droppings. If you find droppings indoors, tell an adult. Anyone who feels ill after contact with mice should see a doctor and mention the mice.

Striped field mouse vs wood mouse vs house mouse

Three common mice of Europe and Asia. Only one has a black stripe.

Striped field mouse vs wood mouse vs house mouse
	Striped field mouse	Wood mouse	House mouse
Scientific name⁠[21, 22, 8]	Apodemus agrarius	Apodemus sylvaticus	Mus musculus
Back⁠[1, 22, 8]	One black stripe	No stripe; yellow spot on the throat	No stripe
Weight⁠[5, 22, 8]	13–40 g (adults average ≈25 g)	≈23 g on average	12–30 g
Tail⁠[7, 22, 8]	≈72 mm, shorter than the body	70–145 mm	60–105 mm, scaly
Climbing⁠[5, 22, 8]	Forages on the ground; does not climb trees	Very good climber and jumper	Good climber
Active⁠[5, 2, 22, 8]	Dusk and day; mostly by day in winter	Night, or dusk and dawn	Mostly at night
Litters a year⁠[1, 16, 22, 8]	Up to 6 (about 3 on average)	Up to 4	5–10
IUCN Red List⁠[33, 34]	Least Concern	Least Concern	Least Concern

The yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) shares much of its range in Europe. It is bigger and has no stripe.

Is the striped field mouse endangered?

No. It is one of the commonest small mammals across much of its range, and in parts of Europe it is spreading.

IUCN Red List

Least Concern (LC)

Listed as Least Concern: it is widespread and common. We could not check the official population trend, but numbers have clearly grown in Lithuania, Slovakia and Austria.⁠[33, 21, 15, 29, 23]

IUCN Red List, 2024 edition

Threats

Treated as a pest
It eats grain crops and gnaws young trees in nurseries, so people often see it as a pest.⁠[10, 28]
Losing some steppe
Climate models suggest it may lose some habitat in the southern steppe, even as it spreads north-east.⁠[28]

What’s helping

Spreading on its ownSince 1996
It reached south-east Austria by 1996 and has spread in south-west Slovakia since 2010.⁠[23, 29]
At home near people≈20%
In Lithuania it now makes up about a fifth of small mammals caught, and is most common in places changed by people.⁠[15]
Watched for health
Long-term studies in Korea track hantavirus in wild mice, which helps protect people.⁠[27]

Relatives

Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)Least Concern
Widespread across Europe.⁠[34]
Yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)Least Concern
Bigger, no stripe; shares woods with striped field mice.⁠[34, 3]
House mouse (Mus musculus)Least Concern
Lives alongside people almost worldwide.⁠[34, 8]

Striped field mouse quiz

12 questions. Every answer is somewhere on this page.

Question 1 of 12Score 0

What runs down the middle of a striped field mouse’s back?

Striped Field Mouse field notes

Diet, food web, safety and badges from the Snappit field guide.

Diet & Feeding

These tiny mice are omnivores, munching on seeds, insects, and fruits from their habitat.

Primary Foods

seeds
grains
beetles
caterpillars
berries
roots
Foraging Method: Foraging

Ecological connections

Red FoxEaten by
A common predator in grasslands.
Tawny OwlEaten by
Hunts them from above at night.
Least WeaselEaten by
A small, agile hunter in their habitat.

Safety

Danger 1/5 · Very low

If you see a mouse, watch from a distance. Never touch wild mice, their nests or their droppings, because some carry germs that can make people ill. If you find droppings indoors, tell an adult.

Traits

Collections

Mammals

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Apodemus

Also known as

Black-striped field mouse · Black-striped mouse · Brandmaus (German) · Mulot rayé (French) · Mysz polna (Polish) · Deungjul-jwi (Korean)

Sources for these striped field mouse facts

35 studies and references · checked Oct 16, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Striped Field Mouse?

Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

How long is Striped Field Mouse?

7.5-12.5 cm

How much does Striped Field Mouse weigh?

0.013-0.04 kg

How long does Striped Field Mouse live?

1-2.2 years

What does Striped Field Mouse eat?

These tiny mice are omnivores, munching on seeds, insects, and fruits from their habitat.

Where is Striped Field Mouse usually found?

Grasslands

How many babies does Striped Field Mouse usually have?

4-9

Are striped field mice dangerous?

They are shy and rarely bite, but like many wild rodents some carry germs such as hantaviruses, which spread mostly through dust from dried urine and droppings. Never touch wild mice, nests or droppings, and tell an adult if you find droppings indoors.

Do striped field mice carry hantavirus?

Some do. Hantaan virus was first found in striped field mice in Korea in 1976, and in Europe some carry Dobrava-Belgrade virus. The mice themselves show no signs of illness. People catch it mainly by breathing in dust from dried droppings, not from other people.

What do striped field mice eat?

Seeds, grains, roots, green plants, berries, nuts and insects. Before winter they may stock their burrows with seeds, such as soybeans in north-east China.

How many babies do striped field mice have?

A litter averages about 5 or 6 pups after a pregnancy of about 22 days. A female can have up to 6 litters a year, about 3 on average, and her pups can breed at about 76 days old.

What is the difference between a striped field mouse and a house mouse?

The striped field mouse has a black stripe down its back and a tail shorter than its body, and lives mainly in fields and woodland edges. The house mouse (Mus musculus) has no stripe, a scaly tail and lives mostly around people.

Do striped field mice hibernate?

No. They stay active all winter, mostly by day, and have been filmed out in frosts of −6 °C. Some can cool down for a few hours in daily torpor to save energy.

How long do striped field mice live?

Most live less than 18 months in the wild. The longest recorded life in captivity is 2.2 years.

Where do striped field mice live?

In fields, meadows, marshes, gardens and woodland edges in two separate ranges: one from central Europe to Siberia, the other in East Asia. In parts of central Europe they are spreading.

Take the discovery with you

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Striped field mouse abilities

Forever Teeth

Fast Family

Doorway Dodge

Tail Belt

Power-Save Mode

Winter Larder

Seed Sniffer

Number Sense

Striped Field Mouse back stripe

Striped Field Mouse eyes

Striped Field Mouse ears

Striped Field Mouse whiskers

Striped Field Mouse teeth

Striped Field Mouse gut

Striped Field Mouse tail

Striped Field Mouse paws

Striped Field Mouse burrow

Striped Field Mouse nest

“Its black stripe is camouflage that hides it in tall grass.”

“Striped field mice sleep through the winter.”

“It is just a house mouse with a stripe.”

“A female can have up to six litters in a year.”

“Mice only come out at night.”

“Its front teeth never stop growing.”

“Every striped field mouse carries hantavirus.”

“Striped field mice are expert tree climbers.”

Out in the frost

Breeding begins

First litters

Night shift

Second baby boom

Stocking the larder

Last litters

Fast and short

Threats

What’s helping

Relatives

What runs down the middle of a striped field mouse’s back?

What does the name “agrarius” point to?

How long is a striped field mouse pregnant?

What do striped field mice do in winter?