# Striped Field Mouse (*Apodemus agrarius*)

The Striped Field Mouse is a small, cute animal with one black stripe down its back. It loves to scurry around fields and gardens, looking for seeds and plants to eat. These little mice are very quick and can hide easily!

- **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Striped Field Mouse](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mysz_polna.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Fibro, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mysz_polna.jpg)

## Appearance

The Striped Field Mouse has a distinctive dark stripe running down its reddish-brown or yellowish-brown back, from head to tail. Its underside is noticeably lighter, often grey or white. It possesses relatively small ears and eyes compared to many other mouse species.

## Taxonomy

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

## Striped field mouse, up close

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 called: Black-striped field mouse, Black-striped mouse, Brandmaus (German), Mulot rayé (French), Mysz polna (Polish), Deungjul-jwi (Korean).

One black stripe, ever-growing teeth and a 22-day pregnancy. Spin it, tap it, then test yourself.

### Special abilities

- **Forever Teeth** (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. [9][5]
  - 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: Adult 8.45 N; Subadult 7.40 N; Juvenile 6.28 N
- **Fast Family** (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. [16][1][17]
  - 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: Pregnancy 22 days; Birth to weaning 27 days; Birth to first breeding 76 days
- **Doorway Dodge** (21 dodges in 143 meetings; still 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. [3]
  - 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.
- **Tail Belt** (−2.8 °C warmest it was seen; still debated): In frosty weather, striped field mice curl their tails onto their backs like a belt. Nobody is sure why yet. [13]
  - 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.
- **Power-Save Mode** (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. [18][13]
  - 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.
- **Winter Larder** (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. [2][1][14]
  - 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.
- **Seed Sniffer** (4 of 7 seed kinds it favoured; still debated): It is choosy about seeds, and scientists think smell may help it pick the ones that keep best. [12][14]
  - 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.
- **Number Sense** (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. [19]
  - 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.

### Body parts

- **Back stripe** (1 black stripe, head to tail) [1][2][3][4]
  - 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.
- **Eyes** [5][2][6]
  - 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.
- **Ears** (≈12 mm ear length) [7][3]
  - 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.
- **Whiskers** [8][5]
  - 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.
- **Teeth** (8.45 N average adult bite) [9][5][10]
  - 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.
- **Gut** [1][2][11][12]
  - 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.
- **Tail** (≈72 mm tail, shorter than the body) [7][13]
  - 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.
- **Paws** (≈18 mm hind foot) [7][1][2]
  - 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.
- **Burrow** [2][14][15]
  - 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.
- **Nest** (1.9 g a newborn pup) [16][1]
  - 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.

### Stats

| Stat | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 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] |

### Photos

- [Black stripe and whiskers up close, Belgorod region, Russia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bekaryukovsky_bor_Arbuzova_43.jpg) (photo: Marina V. Arbuzova, CC BY-SA 3.0)
- [From above, the stripe runs from head to tail](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mysz_polna.jpg) (photo: Fibro, CC BY-SA 3.0)
- [Whole body and tail, from a 2021 study of where the species lives](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apodemus_agrarius_(10.3897-BDJ.9.e69159)_Figure_1.jpg) (photo: E. Shmukler, CC0)
- [A mother at her nest with a newborn pup, Bükk Mountains, Hungary](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sicista_b3.JPG) (photo: Siga, CC BY-SA 3.0)
- [At the nest under a beech log, Bükk Mountains, Hungary](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sicista_b1.JPG) (photo: Siga, CC BY-SA 3.0)
- [Pups about a week old, eyes still closed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brandm%C3%A4use_(7_oder_8_Tage_alt).jpg) (photo: Michael 709, CC0)
- [Peeping out of a hollow stump](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Striped_field_mouse_(53000840696).jpg) (photo: Andrey Gulivanov, CC BY 2.0)
- [Foraging among leaves in Łódź, Poland](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Striped_field_mouse(js)01.jpg) (photo: Jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY 3.0)

### Questions

- **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. [31][24][23]
- **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. [25][23][30][31]
- **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. [1][2][14]
- **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. [16][1]
- **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. [1][7][8]
- **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. [13][2][18]
- **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. [3][16]
- **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. [10][2][29][23]

### Striped field mouse myths and facts

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

- "Its black stripe is camouflage that hides it in tall grass." **Not proven!** It is a nice idea, but nobody has tested it. Back stripes evolved many times in rodents, and scientists have studied how they form, not what this mouse’s stripe is for. [4]
- "Striped field mice sleep through the winter." **Myth!** They don’t hibernate. Near Warsaw they were filmed out and about at −6 °C, and in winter they are mostly active by day. Some can cool down for a few hours (daily torpor), but that is not hibernation. [13][2][18]
- "It is just a house mouse with a stripe." **Myth!** It belongs to a different genus, Apodemus, with the wood mouse and the yellow-necked mouse. The house mouse is Mus musculus, has a scaly tail and lives mostly around people. [21][22][8]
- "A female can have up to six litters in a year." **Fact!** Up to six litters of up to six young have been recorded. The average is lower, about 3 litters a year. [1][16]
- "Mice only come out at night." **Myth!** This one is active at dusk and by day as well. In summer it is mostly out at night, but in winter mostly by day. [5][2]
- "Its front teeth never stop growing." **Fact!** Like all rodents, it has ever-growing incisors. Stem cells at the base keep adding new tooth as the tips wear down from gnawing. [9]
- "Every striped field mouse carries hantavirus." **Myth!** Only some do. In south-east Austria, 2 of 35 mice tested carried Dobrava-Belgrade virus. But you can’t tell by looking, so never touch wild mice, their nests or their droppings. [23][24]
- "Striped field mice are expert tree climbers." **Myth!** It finds its food on the ground and, unlike the wood mouse, does not climb trees. It is an agile leaper and swimmer instead. [5][22][1]

### Striped field mouse records

A small mouse with some big firsts.

- Number whiz: Striped field mouse, 8 vs 9 (first wild rodent shown to judge quantities this precisely (2019)) [19]
- The first hantavirus: Striped field mice in Korea, 1976 (Hantaan virus was found in these mice, solving the mystery of Korean haemorrhagic fever) [25]
- Korea’s commonest mammal: Striped field mouse, No. 1 (described as the most abundant mammal in Korea) [26]
- Top owl snack: Striped field mouse, 858 of 6,355 (the most common prey in tawny owl pellets along a large river valley in Poland (13.5%)) [6]
- Most often caught: Striped field mouse, 12,476 (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: Striped field mouse, 12,000 years (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 | 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
- **Threat: Treated as a pest**: It eats grain crops and gnaws young trees in nurseries, so people often see it as a pest. [10][28]
- **Threat: Losing some steppe**: Climate models suggest it may lose some habitat in the southern steppe, even as it spreads north-east. [28]
- **Helping: Spreading on its own** (Since 1996): It reached south-east Austria by 1996 and has spread in south-west Slovakia since 2010. [23][29]
- **Helping: 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]
- **Helping: Watched for health**: Long-term studies in Korea track hantavirus in wild mice, which helps protect people. [27]
- **Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)** (LC): Widespread across Europe. [34]
- **Yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)** (LC): Bigger, no stripe; shares woods with striped field mice. [34][3]
- **House mouse (Mus musculus)** (LC): Lives alongside people almost worldwide. [34][8]

### Striped field mouse signals

- Head snaps towards a sound: Alert: another mouse, or something else, is coming. [3]
- Waiting to one side of a doorway: Getting ready to dodge a bigger mouse. [3]
- Tail curled onto the back in frost: Very cold weather. It may protect the tail, but that is not yet proven. [13]
- Cool and still in the early morning: Daily torpor: saving energy for a few hours. [18]

### Life stages

- **Adult**: Yellow-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 old) [1][2][7][16]
- **Young mouse**: Juveniles weigh only 6–12 g and bite more weakly than adults. The model gives them a greyer, duller coat; we found no published description of the juvenile coat in this species. (Leaves the nest after about 27 days) [5][16]
- **Mother and pups**: Pups 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 days) [16][1]
- **Jeju island form**: On Jeju Island lives a large-bodied form (subspecies chejuensis). Pregnant females there averaged 42 g, and adults measured about 106–108 mm from nose to tail base, bigger than mice in Lithuania. DNA shows it is still the same species. (Cut off since Jeju separated from the mainland) [17][20][7]

### Striped field mouse quiz

1. What runs down the middle of a striped field mouse’s back? **One black stripe.** A single black stripe runs from the top of the head to the base of the tail. [1]
2. What does the name “agrarius” point to? **Fields.** It comes from Latin agrarius, from ager, “field”. [35]
3. How long is a striped field mouse pregnant? **About 22 days.** Pregnancy lasts about 22 days. [16]
4. What do striped field mice do in winter? **Stay active, mostly by day.** They don’t hibernate. In winter they are mostly active by day. [2][13]
5. What is tail-belting? **Curling the tail onto the back in frost.** Below freezing, mice near Warsaw curled their tails onto their backs. [13]
6. Which groups of shapes could some striped field mice tell apart? **8 and 9.** Some mice told apart quantities that differ by one, even 8 and 9. [19]
7. Which virus was found in striped field mice in Korea in 1976? **Hantaan virus.** Hantaan virus, named after the Hantan River, was traced to striped field mice. [25]
8. How do people usually catch hantavirus? **By breathing in dust from dried droppings or urine.** Breathing in stirred-up dust from dried urine or droppings is the main route. Bites are rare. [31]
9. You find mouse droppings in a shed. What should you do? **Tell an adult, who cleans them with gloves and disinfectant.** Never sweep or vacuum. Adults wear gloves, spray with disinfectant, wait 5 minutes and wipe up. [32]
10. Which bird ate more striped field mice than any other prey along a big river valley in Poland? **Tawny owl.** Striped field mice were 13.5% of the 6,355 prey found in tawny owl pellets. [6]
11. Which of its teeth never stop growing? **The front incisors.** Stem cells at the base keep the incisors growing as the tips wear down. [9]
12. Where does a large-bodied form of the striped field mouse live? **Jeju Island, South Korea.** The Jeju form (chejuensis) is larger, but DNA shows it is the same species. [17][20]

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12. [Li D, Zhang C, Cao Y, Gao M, Chang S, Xu M, Jin Z, Ni H (2023). Food preference strategy of four sympatric rodents in a temperate forest in northeast China. ZooKeys 1158:163–177.](https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1158.96886)
13. [Stryjek R, Parsons MH, Bebas P (2024). Insights into tail-belting by wild mice encourages fresh perspectives on physiological mechanisms that safeguard mammal tissues from freezing. Scientific Reports 14:28933.](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79594-7)
14. [Peng Y, Hu Z, Dong W, et al. (2024). Wild rodents seed choice is relevant for sustainable agriculture. Scientific Reports 14:15994.](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67057-y)
15. [Balčiauskas L, Balčiauskienė L (2024). Striped field mouse invading human-modified environments of Lithuania during last five decades. Land 13(10):1555.](https://doi.org/10.3390/land13101555)
16. [AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database. Apodemus agrarius (striped field mouse), HAGRID 03019.](https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Apodemus_agrarius)
17. [Oh HS, Yoshinaga Y, Mori T (1998). Reproduction in a wild population of the Korean striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius chejuensis. Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University 42(3/4):383–395.](https://doi.org/10.5109/24228)
18. [Yoon M-H, Han C-W (2006). A study on daily torpor in the Korean striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius). Journal of Life Science 16(4):618–625.](https://doi.org/10.5352/JLS.2006.16.4.618)
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21. [GBIF. Apodemus agrarius (Pallas, 1771): species record and IUCN Red List checklist entry.](https://www.gbif.org/species/2437761)
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35. [Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Agrarian (etymology: Latin agrārius, from ager 'field').](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agrarian)

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 7.5-12.5 cm
- **Weight:** 0.013-0.04 kg
- **Lifespan:** 1-2.2 years
- **Litter Size:** 4-9
- **Gestation:** 22 days

## 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

- **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — A common predator in grasslands.
- **Eaten by:** [Tawny Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tawny-owl) (*Strix aluco*) — Hunts them from above at night.
- **Eaten by:** Least Weasel (*Mustela nivalis*) — A small, agile hunter in their habitat.

## Traits

- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of color.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel.

## Collections

- [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals)

## 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.

## 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

## More Mammals

- [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*)
- [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*)
- [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*)
- [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*)

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Source: [Striped Field Mouse: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/striped-field-mouse)