+_Jan_+
Harvest mouse
Taken in captivity, this young Harvest mouse is part of a captive breeding programme. The mice are a UK Biodiversity Action Plan species due to severe declines in their numbers, when old enough mice are being released back into suitable sites in the wild.
They are the only British animal with a prehensile tail making them remarkably agile (and quick!) climbers. When fully grown the adults weigh only 4-6 grams with a head/body length of 5-7cm and their tail a similar length again. For a sense of scale, the flowers (which I think are a kind of Hawk's-beard) are a similar size to dandelions.
Harvest mouse
Taken in captivity, this young Harvest mouse is part of a captive breeding programme. The mice are a UK Biodiversity Action Plan species due to severe declines in their numbers, when old enough mice are being released back into suitable sites in the wild.
They are the only British animal with a prehensile tail making them remarkably agile (and quick!) climbers. When fully grown the adults weigh only 4-6 grams with a head/body length of 5-7cm and their tail a similar length again. For a sense of scale, the flowers (which I think are a kind of Hawk's-beard) are a similar size to dandelions.