Wood mouse
| Wood mouse | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota | 
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Chordata | 
| Class: | Mammalia | 
| Order: | Rodentia | 
| Family: | Muridae | 
| Genus: | Apodemus | 
| Species: | A. sylvaticus | 
| Binomial name | |
| Apodemus sylvaticus | |
| Apodemus sylvaticus range (in green) | |
| Synonyms | |
| Mus sylvaticus Linnaeus, 1758 | |
The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) is a murid rodent native to Europe and northwestern Africa. It is closely related to the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) but differs in that it has no band of yellow fur around the neck, has slightly smaller ears, and is usually slightly smaller overall: around 90 mm (3.54 in) in length and 23 g in weight. It is found across most of Europe and is a very common and widespread species, is commensal with people and is sometimes considered a pest. Other common names are long-tailed field mouse, field mouse, common field mouse, and European wood mouse. This species is a known potential carrier of the Dobrava sequence of hantavirus which affects humans and may pose serious risks to human health.