The Wood-Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus

Last Wednesday afternoon at 5.30pm, I saw the most amazing thing. Two little Wood mice were chasing each other up and down the 6 . 25 meter length of my bedroom balcony. 

There are two large windows, so I had a very good view of both mice, which in itself was amusing to watch, but the one that was being chased suddenly leapt in the air and did a huge summer-salt, then continued running. It was so endearing and funny, that I couldn't stop laughing. They were playing catch me if you can, having fun, and so was I.:=)

I thought it was only in animated films like Disney, that mice did this, but the artists had done their research. Has anyone else seen this behaviour? Sadly I can't show you a clip of what I saw, but have a few photos of a Wood mouse in one of the wooden boxes that I use  as bird feeders. I was so entertained that I didn't even think to get my camera, and they ran so fast that if I had taken any photos, they probably would have been blurry. The next photo is out of focus, but it gives you an idea as to it's size.

The wood mouse has a sandy-brown coat, has large ears and eyes, and the under parts are white. It has large hind legs that help it leap about,  and they are very good climbers, and run extremely fast. Oh yes, they run like the wind.

Their alternative name is Long-tailed field mouse, due to it's long tail that is approximately the same size as the total length of it's head and body. They inhabit forests, cultivated fields, and grasslands, although they are primarily woodland creatures.

They live in burrows, and build nests of grass and other green plant matter. They eat nuts, seeds, insects and green plants in mixed deciduous woodland in winter, bud 's in Spring, caterpillars, worms, and centipedes in early summer, and blackberries and fungi in autumn.

They are clean creatures, and spend a lot of time grooming, and male and female will often groom each other. They wipe their face and ears with their fore feet, and pass their tales through their mouth. They are nocturnal creatures , so it's surprising that they ventured out during daylight. They are native to Europe, and North Western Africa.