Eastern harvest mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastern harvest mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Reithrodontomys
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| Species: |
humulis
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The eastern harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys humulis) is a tiny rodent that lives in the United States. It belongs to the Cricetidae family, which includes many types of mice and hamsters. These small creatures love to live in open, grassy areas like grasslands, swamps, and even old fields where animals used to graze.
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Meet the Eastern Harvest Mouse!
The eastern harvest mouse has soft, brown fur. It has a dark line running down its back. Its belly and the underside of its tail are lighter, usually gray with a hint of red. The tail itself is two-colored: dark brown on top and white-gray underneath.
Female mice are usually a bit heavier than males. They get even heavier when they are going to have babies. These mice are about 10.7 to 12.8 centimeters (4 to 5 inches) long. They are mostly active at night, which means they are nocturnal. In the wild, they usually live for about 9.5 weeks.
Where Do They Live?
You can find the eastern harvest mouse across a wide area of the eastern and central United States. Their range stretches from Maryland in the north, all the way down to the tip of Florida in the south. They also live as far west as Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio. These mice are only found in the United States.
They prefer open, grassy places. This includes abandoned fields, marshes, or wet meadows. They do not live in forests. Eastern harvest mice build round nests from dry weeds, grass, and other plant materials. They use these nests all year long. Each mouse usually has a home area of just under 1,000 square meters (about 10,760 square feet).
What Do They Eat?
Scientists don't know a lot about what eastern harvest mice eat in the wild. When they are studied in labs, they eat many different things. This includes seeds, fruits, and vegetables. It is thought that in nature, these mice mainly eat seeds, weeds, and small insects.
Mouse Families: Reproduction
Eastern harvest mice mate during the spring and autumn seasons. Male mice are always ready to mate. However, females do not mate during the summer.
Once a female mouse is pregnant, her pregnancy lasts about 21 days. She can be ready to have more babies in as little as 24 days after giving birth! A mother mouse usually has 2 to 4 babies at a time. But sometimes, a litter can have anywhere from 1 to 8 babies. The mother takes care of her young. The baby mice will leave their mother when they are about 30 days old.
When they are born, baby mice weigh only about 1.2 grams (less than a penny!). Their eyes are closed for the first 7 to 10 days of their lives.
Growing Up
Right after birth, baby eastern harvest mice have no fur, and their eyes are closed. During their first month, their fur grows, they gain weight, and their eyes open. They grow the fastest during their first week.
The young mice will start to leave the safety of their nest when they are about two or three weeks old. They drink milk from their mother until they are about 4 weeks old. After 30 days, once they weigh enough, the young mice will leave the nest for good.
References
- Baillie, J. 1996. Reithrodontomys humulis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 20 July 2007.
- Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
