Wood mice are one of the most common European small mammals.

Life span
Up to 20 months.

Statistics
Body length: 8-11cm, Weight: 16-27g (Seasonal variation - they put on weight during the summer).

Physical description
Wood mice have dark brown fur above, and silvery grey fur below. They have large ears and large protruding eyes.

Distribution
They range throughout Europe, east to Central Asia. In the UK, they are also found on Ireland and surrounding small islands.

Habitat
They inhabit a range of habitats including forest edge, woodland, grassland, hedgerows and gardens.

Diet
Wood mice feed on seeds, buds, fruits, insects, worms, centipedes, snails and fungi.

Behaviour
During the winter, they often share nests, with up to four individuals per nest. Male home ranges overlap with those of other wood mice, but during the breeding season, the females become territorial and defend exclusive ranges.

They are agile climbers and are active at night. They nest below ground in a complicated burrow system, which is used by consecutive generations. They do occasionally nest above ground in holes in trees. The nest itself is commonly made of leaves, moss and grass.

Wood mice have good night vision and an acute sense of smell.

Reproduction
Wood mice breed from March to October. After a gestation of 23 days, females give birth to 4-7 young, which are weaned after three weeks. Females tend to have just one or two litters a year.

Conservation status
Wood mice are common and are not considered to be endangered.