British Columbia’s Wildlife at Risk

Blue-listed species are considered vulnerable because they have characteristics that make Western Harvest Mouse

them particularly sensitive

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ to human activities or natural events. Reithrodontomys megalotis

At a Glance What’s on the Menu? The Western Harvest Mouse looks a lot like the Two important items in the diet of the Western House Mouse. One difference is that it has hairs Harvest Mouse are seeds and caterpillars. on its tail, while the House Mouse’s tail is naked. Sometimes they have to climb up in bushes to The Western Harvest Mouse also has grooves that reach these foods. They also eat flowers, green run down its front teeth, but the House Mouse plants and fungi. does not. The Western Harvest Mouse weighs about 10 grams and is about 13 centimetres long. Half of this length is its tail. Its fur is brownish on top, with a faintly darker stripe along its back. Underneath, its fur is a little lighter.

Home Sweet Home This mouse likes areas of tall grass and shrubs. Dry bunchgrass valleys are its favourite habitat in B.C. Other suitable areas include grassy roadsides and fallow fields. It builds a cup-shaped or spherical grass nest. Nests are usually located on or near the ground. Sometimes they are placed in bushes as high as one metre above the ground. The Western Harvest Mouse often uses vole runways to get around. It does not make burrows of its own, but may seek shelter in other small animals’ burrows. Where and When The Western Harvest Mouse lives in most parts This is the Life of the western United States and Mexico. In these Western Harvest Mice are rarely seen because areas it can be quite common, with populations they are strictly nocturnal, coming out only after as high as 60 mice per hectare. In Canada, it is dark. They are most active on moonless or rainy much rarer and is found only in a few parts of nights, probably because it is harder for predators southern Alberta and B.C. In this province, its to see them at these times. density is about one to seven mice per hectare. In B.C., females give birth to two or three The only regions in B.C. where the Western litters every year. There are usually about four Harvest Mouse has been found are the Okanagan young in each litter. and Similkameen valleys. Wildlife Branch Wildlife Victoria, B.C. V8W 9M4 B.C. Victoria, Victoria, B.C. V8W 9M1 B.C. Victoria, Funding provided by Funding provided P.O. Box 9374 Stn Prov Gov 9374 Stn Prov Box P.O. P.O. Box 9344 Stn Prov Gov 9344 Stn Prov Box P.O. Resources Inventory Branch Resources Conservation Data Centre Data Conservation . http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/ and Conservation Data Centre at: Data Centre and Conservation Forest Renewal British Columbia Renewal Forest Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks Lands Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks Lands Ministry of Environment, You can find out more about the Wildlife Branch Wildlife about the can find out more You Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks Ministry of Environment, The Western Harvest Mouse is Harvest The Western How We’re Helping We’re How Mouse Harvest of Western areas A few protected currently are habitat in B.C. parks and ecological within provincial grassland more Plans to create reserves. and Similkameen parks in the Okanagan being discussed. now are valleys under the British Columbia protected Wildlife Act Can Help You How can help provide landowners Private undisturbed strips of leaving habitat by and shrubs along the edges of fields. grass Sightings of this mouse should be reported in Centre Data to the Conservation more help to provide Victoria. This may and information on the numbers Harvest distribution of the Western Mouse in our province. Wildlife at Risk at Wildlife This species has been placed on the The Committee on the Status Present range of the Western Harvest the Western of range Present Columbia Mouse in British How They’re Doing They’re How are Valley of the Okanagan The grasslands disappearing. In the past, many rapidly use. ploughed under for agricultural were grassland of remaining areas large Today, for housing. Very being developed are Even little of this habitat is protected. they remain, patches of grassland where to other often no longer connected are Harvest habitat. If Western of fragments one area eliminated from Mice are other members such as a fire, a disaster, by of this species will not be able to quickly unless the damaged area recolonize suitable joined by are areas the two a number also take mouse habitat. It may to regain for a damaged area of years that this mouse features the grassland requires. to be It is considered Blue List in B.C. because of the disappearance vulnerable very never of its habitat and because it was common in this province. Wildlife in Canada of Endangered (COSEWIC) has designated this species as Vulnerable.

British Columbia’s British ➧ further south.

one hectare in size. one hectare

NO KIDDING! only four months old! only four

to find their way back. to find their way

Western Harvest Mice can Harvest Western range, which is only about which is only range,

only just arrived here from here only just arrived mice never leave their home leave mice never home ranges have been able have home ranges The Western Harvest Mouse Harvest The Western

it is so rare or because it had it is so rare become parents when they are become parents This species was not discovered This species was

as far as 300 metres from their from as 300 metres as far is not a wanderer. Most of these Most of is not a wanderer.

in British Columbia until 1942. in British Columbia The Western Harvest Mouse has Harvest The Western

the ability to “home.” Mice taken the ability to “home.” It is not known if this was because if this was It is not known