Mammals of the WorldKashmir Field Mouse
Apodemus rusiges
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Muridae
- Genus
- Apodemus
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Pakistan|India
- Realm
- Palearctic
About this species
- Diet
- Seeds and berries; stores food for winter
- Range
- India, Nepal and Pakistan
- Litter size
- About 5–6 young; 4–5 litters a year
- Gestation
- 25–26 days
The Kashmir field mouse is very like the Himalayan field mouse but larger, with a larger skull and a longer, two-coloured tail. The back is dark brownish grey, sometimes with a central dorsal stripe, and the underside is greyish white; some animals have a yellow line on the chest and throat. It is found in India, Nepal and Pakistan (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is nocturnal, terrestrial and an excellent climber. It makes grass-lined nests in burrows dug beneath tree roots, where it rests by day and cares for young, and although many mice share a burrow the female does not let males in. It feeds mainly on seeds and berries and stores food for winter. Breeding is in spring and summer, with four or five litters a year of about five or six young after 25–26 days (Wikipedia, general species account).
Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)