ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Eastern Harvest Mouse

 Eastern Harvest Mouse


Eastern harvest mouse

The Eastern harvest mouse is an excellent climber, and may spend a good deal of its time foraging above ground in dense vegetation.

Eastern harvest mouse tracks

Eastern Harvest Mouse Tracks
(Click track to enlarge)


Eastern Harvest Mouse
Reithrodontomys humulis

At-a-Glance

• Typical Foods: seeds and grains, but have also been known to feed on grasshoppers and crickets.

• Ohio Status: Threatened 
Description
The Eastern harvest mouse is a rich, brown color, but the belly and the underside of the tail are paler than the back.

Habitat and Habits
This mouse is found in the eastern United States in old fields, marshes, and wet meadows.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
The Eastern harvest mouse constructs baseball-sized, spherical nests on the ground out of shredded grasses. It generally has a single entrance. After a gestation period of about 21 days, a litter of two to five young is born in May to November.