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{{Short description|Species of rodent}}
{{Refimprove|date=March 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Taxobox
{{Speciesbox
| name = Wood Mouse
| name = Wood mouse
| status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
| image = ApodemusSylvaticus.jpg
| trend = stable
| status = LC
| image = Apodemus sylvaticus (Sardinia).jpg
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn|author= Schlitter, D.|author2= van der Straeten, E.|author3= Amori, G.|author4= Hutterer, R.|author5= Kryštufek, B.|author6= Yigit, N.|author7= Mitsainas, G.|year=2021|page= e.T1904A197270811|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T1904A197270811.en|title= ''Apodemus sylvaticus'' |amends=2016|access-date=23 April 2021}}</ref>
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| genus = Apodemus
| ordo = [[Rodent]]ia
| species = sylvaticus
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| superfamilia = [[Muroidea]]
| familia = [[Muridae]]
| subfamilia = [[Murinae]]
| genus = ''[[Apodemus]]''
| species = '''''A. sylvaticus'''''
| binomial = ''Apodemus sylvaticus''
| binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758)
| range_map = Apodemus_sylvaticus_distribution.PNG
| range_map = Apodemus_sylvaticus_distribution.PNG
| range_map_caption = ''Apodemus sylvaticus'' range (in green)}}
| range_map_caption = ''Apodemus sylvaticus'' range (in green)
| synonyms = ''Mus sylvaticus'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1758}}
The '''wood mouse''' (''Apodemus sylvaticus''), also called the '''long-tailed field mouse''', is a common murid [[rodent]] from Europe and North 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&nbsp;mm in length. If a wood mouse is caught by its tail, it can quickly shed the end of it, which may never regrow<ref>Goaman, K., Amery, H. (1983). Mysteries & Marvels of the Animal World: pg.15</ref>. The wood mouse does not [[Hibernation|hibernate]] and, despite its name, it prefers [[hedgerow]]s to [[woodland]]. It is found across most of Western Europe and is a very common and widespread species, is commensal with people and is sometimes considered a pest.<ref>{{IUCN2006|assessors=Schlitter & Van der Straeten|year=2004|id=1904|title=Apodemus sylvaticus|downloaded=11 May 2006}} Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern</ref> Other common names are ''Field Mouse'', ''Common Field Mouse'', and ''European Wood Mouse''.<ref>Murray Wrobel: ''Elsevier’s Dictionary of Mammals''. [[Elsevier]] 2006, ISBN 978-0444518774.</ref>
}}


The '''wood mouse''' ('''''Apodemus sylvaticus''''') is a [[Muridae|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&nbsp;mm (3.54&nbsp;in) in length and 23 g in weight.<ref name="Alcántara1991">{{cite journal|last1= Alcántara|first1= M.|title= Geographical variation in body size of the Wood Mouse ''Apodemus sylvaticus'' L.|journal= Mammal Review|volume= 21|issue= 3|year= 1991|pages= 143–150|doi= 10.1111/j.1365-2907.1991.tb00115.x}}</ref> 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.<ref name=iucn /> Other common names are '''long-tailed field mouse''', '''field mouse''', '''common field mouse''', and '''European wood mouse'''.<ref>Wrobel, Murray. (2006). ''Elsevier's Dictionary of Mammals''. [[Elsevier]], {{ISBN|978-0-444-51877-4}}.</ref> This species is a known potential carrier of the Dobrava sequence of [[hantavirus]] which affects humans and may pose serious risks to human health.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Weidmann|first1=Manfred|last2=Schmidt|first2=P.|last3=Vackova|first3=M.|last4=Krivanec|first4=K.|last5=Munclinger|first5=P.|last6=Hufert|first6=F. T.|date=February 2005|title=Identification of Genetic Evidence for Dobrava Virus Spillover in Rodents by Nested Reverse Transcription (RT)-PCR and TaqMan RT-PCR|journal=Journal of Clinical Microbiology|language=en|volume=43|issue=2|pages=808–812|doi=10.1128/JCM.43.2.808-812.2005|pmid=15695684|issn=0095-1137|pmc=548048}}</ref>
== Habitat ==
[[File:Apodemus sylvaticus-gt.jpg|thumb|Upper front teeth with a smooth inner surface which distinguish the wood mouse from the [[house mouse]]]]


==Habitat and distribution==
Wood mice inhabit forests, grasslands, and cultivated fields. Almost entirely [[nocturnal]] and terrestrial, wood mice burrow extensively, build nests of plants and live in buildings during harsh seasons. The striped field mouse, are active during the day, and the Japanese wood mouse (A. argenteus), are agile climbers. The long-tailed field mouse (A. sylvaticus) is one of the most intensively studied species in the genus. In Europe it ranges north to Scandinavia and east to Ukraine. This wood mouse is also found in North Africa and on many islands.<ref> Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/206303/wood-mouse</ref>
[[File:Wood Mouse.JPG|thumb|"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.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|author=J. L. Tellería|author2=T. Santos|author3=M. Alcántara|volume=72|issue=1|pages=183–187|date=1991|title=Abundance and Food-Searching Intensity of Wood Mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) in Fragmented Forests|url=https://www.ucm.es/data/cont/media/www/pag-33468/1991_JMammalogy_72_183.pdf|access-date=2 November 2018|doi=10.2307/1381994|jstor=1381994|doi-access=free}}</ref> 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.<ref>''Encyclopædia Britannica''. 2008. [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/206303/wood-mouse Wood mouse]</ref>
==Behavior==


==Diet==
Wood mice are primarily seed eaters, particularly seeds of trees such as oak, beech, ash, lime, hawthorn and sycamore. If there is a plentiful amount of seeds on the ground, they carry them back to their nests/burrows for storage. They may eat small invertebrates such as snails and insects, particularly in late spring and early summer when seeds are least available. They also consume berries, fruits and roots. They do not hibernate, however during severe winter seasons they fall into a sort of [[torpor]]; a decrease in physiological activity. They are mainly active during the dark, and are very good climbers. While foraging, the wood mice pick up and distribute visually conspicuous objects, such as leaves and twigs, which they then use as landmarks during exploration.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stopka|first=P. |authorlink= |coauthors=''et al.'' |year=2003 |month=April|title=Way-marking behaviour: an aid to spatial navigation in the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) |journal=BMC Ecology|volume=3 |issue=3 |pages= 3|doi=10.1186/1472-6785-3-3| url=http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/3/3|quote= }}</ref>
Wood mice are primarily seed eaters,<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Fedriani | first1 = J. M. | year = 2005 | title = Do frugivorous mice choose where or what to feed? | journal = Journal of Mammalogy | volume = 86 | issue = 3| pages = 576–586 | doi=10.1644/1545-1542(2005)86[576:dfmcwo]2.0.co;2| doi-access = free | hdl = 10261/54625 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Guardian|title=Country diary: a close encounter with a wood mouse|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/06/country-diary-a-close-encounter-with-a-wood-mouse|author=Phil Gates|date=6 September 2018|access-date=2 November 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Population Ecology|date=2016|title=Predation of wood mice (''Apodemus sylvaticus'') on hibernating bats|volume=58|issue=4|pages=567–576|author=Anne-Jifke Haarsma|author2=Rutger Kaal|name-list-style=amp|doi=10.1007/s10144-016-0557-y |doi-access=free|bibcode=2016PopEc..58..567H |hdl=2066/163408|hdl-access=free}}</ref>


==Behaviour==
[[Image:Apodemus sylvaticus bosmuis.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Wood mouse]]
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.<ref>{{cite book|title=Activity patterns in small mammals: An ecological approach|author=S. Halle|author2=N.C. Stenseth|name-list-style=amp|isbn=9783642182648|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IkrmCAAAQBAJ&q=Wood+Mouse+predators|publisher=Springer|date=2012|access-date=2 November 2018}}</ref> While foraging, wood mice pick up and distribute visually conspicuous objects, such as leaves and twigs, which they then use as landmarks during exploration.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stopka|first=P. |date=April 2003|title=Way-marking behaviour: an aid to spatial navigation in the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) |journal=BMC Ecology|volume= 3|pages= 3|doi=10.1186/1472-6785-3-3|doi-access=free|pmid=12697070 |pmc=154096 |display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=Nature|title=Mice make their own signposts|date=2 May 2003|doi=10.1038/news030428-16 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/news030428-16|access-date=4 February 2020 |last1=Hoag |first1=Hannah }}</ref> If a wood mouse is caught by its tail, it can quickly shed the end of it, which may never regrow.<ref>Goaman, K., Amery, H. (1983). ''Mysteries & Marvels of the Animal World'', p. 15.</ref> Despite its name, it prefers [[hedgerow]]s to [[woodland]]. During the colder months, wood mice do not [[Hibernation|hibernate]]; however, during severe winter seasons they can fall into a [[Torpor|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.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Mammal Society|url=http://www.mammal.org.uk/sites/default/files/factsheets/wood_mouse_complete.pdf|access-date=2 November 2018}}</ref>


==Reproduction==
==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 [[Polygyny in animals|polygynous]] with [[copulation (zoology)|copulation]] resulting from scramble competition during reproductive periods. Males possess a [[wikt:sac|sac]] known as the cauda epididymis, which stores sperm and lies underneath the [[scrotum|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.<ref name="Moore2002">{{cite journal |last=Moore |first=Harry |year=2002 |title=Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse |journal=Nature |volume=418 |issue=6894 |pages=174–177 |doi=10.1038/nature00832 |url= http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/114/1/moorhd1.pdf|pmid=12110888 |s2cid=4413444 |display-authors=etal}}</ref> The mobility of these mobile trains was also found to be influenced by premature acrosome reactions, [[altruism|altruistic]] acts performed by some spermatozoa for the benefit of other genetically similar [[gametocyte]]s. This altruism follows a "[[Green-beard effect|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 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 epididymus which stores sperm and lies underneath the scrotum protrusion. Temperature regulation ensures maximum sperm output.


The [[gestation]] period of wood mice is of 25–27 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.
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.<ref name="Moore2002">{{cite journal |last=Moore |first=Harry |authorlink= |coauthors=''et al.'' |year=2002 |month= |title=Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse |journal=Nature |volume=418 |issue=6894 |pages=174–177 |doi=10.1038/nature00832 |url= |accessdate= |quote= |pmid=12110888 }}</ref> These apical hooks are deployed in female reproductive tract (mechanism responsible involved the remodeling of actin filaments in the hook).<ref name="Moore2002" /> Deployed apical hooks combine with apical hooks and flagella of other spermatozoa. The aggregates of spermatozoa that result from "mobile trains", which have experimentally been determined to possess better motility in the female reproductive tract.<ref name="Moore2002" /> 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 effect|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.


==Gallery==
The gestation period of wood mice is of 25–26 days and each female produces on average 5 young. The offspring become independent after about three weeks and become sexually active after two months.
<gallery mode="packed">
Apodemus sylvaticus bosmuis.jpg|portrait
Cherry stone hoard.JPG|[[cherry]] stone hoard
WaldMausWikipedia2.webm|Wood mouse in an attic
</gallery>


== References ==
==Rodent-borne Diseases==
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
It has been discovered that African wood mice can transmit the [[Hantavirus]]; a life threatening [[RNA virus]] that can infect humans, in Eurasia and the Americas.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Klempa |first=B. |authorlink= |coauthors=''et al.'' |year=2006 |month= |title=Hantavirus in African wood mouse, Guinea |journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=838–840 |pmid=16704849 |url= |accessdate= |quote= }}</ref>
*Fairley, J.S. 1975. ''An Irish Beast Book''. Blackstaff Press Limited. ISBN 0-85640-090-4


== External links ==
==References==
{{Commons category|Apodemus sylvaticus}}
{{reflist}}
{{Wikispecies| Apodemus sylvaticus}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070730101009/http://nmnhgoph.si.edu/cgi-bin/wdb/msw/names/query/23053 ''Apodemus sylvaticus''] in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History MSW Scientific Names
*[http://www.catalogueoflife.org/show_species_details.php?record_id=3871270 ''Apodemus sylvaticus''] in the Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001090757/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=305586 ''Apodemus sylvaticus''] in Fauna Europaea
*[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apodemus_sylvaticus.html ''Apodemus sylvaticus''] in the Animal Diversity Web
*[http://ecologie.nature.free.fr/pages/mammiferes/mulot.htm The wood mouse], an excellent article in French
*[https://www.doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0310.1999.00485.x The market effect in the wood mouse], an excellent abstract of research done on grooming and reproduction in wood mouse


{{Murinae (Aethomys–Chrotomys)}}
==External links==
{{Taxonbar|from=Q212185}}
*[http://nmnhgoph.si.edu/cgi-bin/wdb/msw/names/query/23053 Apodemus sylvaticus] in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History MSW Scientific Names

*[http://www.catalogueoflife.org/show_species_details.php?record_id=3871270 Apodemus sylvaticus] in the Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist
[[Category:Apodemus]]
*[http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=305586 Apodemus sylvaticus] in Fauna Europaea
[[Category:Rodents of Asia]]
*[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apodemus_sylvaticus.html Apodemus sylvaticus] in the Animal Diversity Web
[[Category:Rodents of North Africa]]
*[http://ecologie.nature.free.fr/pages/mammiferes/mulot.htm The wood mouse], an excellent article in French
[[Category:Rodents of Europe]]
*[http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1439-0310.1999.00485.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=eth The market effect in the wood mouse], an excellent abstract of research done on grooming and reproduction in wood mouse
{{murinae|A.}}
[[Category:Old World rats and mice]]
[[Category:Mammals of Europe]]
[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Africa]]
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[[Category:Mammals of Ukraine]]
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[[Category:Mammals of Turkey]]
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[[Category:Mammals of Iceland]]
[[Category:Mammals of Iceland]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1758]]

[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[br:Morzigell ar c'hoadeier]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[bg:Обикновена горска мишка]]
[[ca:Ratolí de bosc]]
[[cs:Myšice křovinná]]
[[co:Topu campagnolu]]
[[de:Waldmaus]]
[[es:Apodemus sylvaticus]]
[[fr:Apodemus sylvaticus]]
[[is:Hagamús]]
[[it:Apodemus sylvaticus]]
[[la:Apodemus sylvaticus]]
[[lt:Miškinė pelė]]
[[hu:Erdei egér]]
[[nl:Bosmuis]]
[[no:Småskogmus]]
[[pl:Mysz zaroślowa]]
[[ru:Лесная мышь]]
[[simple:Wood mouse]]
[[sr:Apodemus sylvaticus]]
[[fi:Pikkumetsähiiri]]
[[sv:Mindre skogsmus]]
[[zh:小林姬鼠]]

Latest revision as of 09:57, 19 August 2024

Wood mouse
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Apodemus
Species:
A. sylvaticus
Binomial name
Apodemus sylvaticus
Apodemus sylvaticus range (in green)
Synonyms

Mus sylvaticus Linnaeus, 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]

Upper front teeth with a smooth inner surface which distinguish the wood mouse from the house mouse

Habitat and distribution

[edit]
"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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

Reproduction

[edit]

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 25–27 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.

[edit]
  • portrait
    portrait
  • cherry stone hoard
    cherry stone hoard
  • Wood mouse in an attic

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b 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.
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  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.
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  12. ^ Hoag, Hannah (2 May 2003). "Mice make their own signposts". Nature. doi:10.1038/news030428-16. 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.

Further reading

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  • Fairley, J.S. 1975. An Irish Beast Book. Blackstaff Press Limited. ISBN 0-85640-090-4
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