Harvest mouse

The tiny harvest mouse is the smallest rodent in Finland and all of Europe. It’s very agile and uses its prehensile tail when climbing in reeds and grass. It can also jump from one grass blade to another and drop itself down if danger is nearby.

The harvest mouse builds a 10-centimetre-wide spherical nest of hay, grass blades and leaves among grass or in a bush. The nest is usually approximately 50 centimetres above ground. The female usually has three litters every summer. The blind and hairless mice pups weigh less than a gram when they are born, but they grow fast and are independent by the time they are two weeks old. The harvest mouse is a protected species in Finland.