“More traps catch more mice”

as quoted by R. Janssen in 2012…

A few weeks ago we set out 100 longworth traps in search of mice.

Here are a few images of what we caught.

As in all mice photography, we created habitats in a sealed box and put flash lighting on it. There just isn’t any other way of photographing these rodents.

Wood mouse

Yellow-necked mouse

This species is closely related to the wood mouse, with which it was long confused, only being recognised as a separate species in 1894.

It differs in its band of yellow fur around the neck and in having slightly larger ears and usually being slightly larger overall.

Field vole

Field volges are one of the most common mammals in Europe, although you don’t catch them that often. They are found in moist grassy habitats and dig burrows, but you usually find them building nests above ground. They constitute an important food source for owls and other predators.