What'd I tell you about the trap and the new little pink nose? It took two nights to lure this little guy we took to calling "Crazy Mouse" into the
Ketch-All.
I can't believe I never thought to stick my camera up against the holes in the trap before this — see what kind of opportunities you miss when you have to go rushing off to work all the time? It's a tragedy, I'm telling you.
Crazy Mouse is a wood mouse, also called a long-tailed field mouse, and his tail is indeed almost as long as the cord on my point-and-shoot camera. According to Wikipedia, if a wood mouse is caught by its tail, it can quickly shed the end of it, which may never regrow. As much as I like cold hard proof, I'll take Wikipedia's word for it on this particular matter.
Multi-tasking on my day off — hiking with the dog, carrying the trap so I can relocate the mouse, chanting japa the whole way, and taking photos. Did I mention I also have a big pot of vegetable stock simmering on the stove?
Crazy Mouse is somewhat reluctant at first.
Wood mice and I have a few things in common (besides our love of seeds) — rather than hibernate, we both fall into a torpor during the winter months (though my state is actually more of a stupor). Also, while foraging, wood mice pick up and distribute visually conspicuous objects, such as leaves and twigs, which they then use as landmarks during exploration. I have to use this technique as well, or else I'd never find my way back home.
Check out that tail!
Good luck, Crazy Mouse!
What'd I tell you about the trap and the new little pink nose? It took two nights to lure this little guy we took to calling "Crazy Mouse" into the Ketch-All.
I can't believe I never thought to stick my camera up against the holes in the trap before this — see what kind of opportunities you miss when you have to go rushing off to work all the time? It's a tragedy, I'm telling you.
Crazy Mouse is a wood mouse, also called a long-tailed field mouse, and his tail is indeed almost as long as the cord on my point-and-shoot camera. According to Wikipedia, if a wood mouse is caught by its tail, it can quickly shed the end of it, which may never regrow. As much as I like cold hard proof, I'll take Wikipedia's word for it on this particular matter.
Multi-tasking on my day off — hiking with the dog, carrying the trap so I can relocate the mouse, chanting japa the whole way, and taking photos. Did I mention I also have a big pot of vegetable stock simmering on the stove?
Crazy Mouse is somewhat reluctant at first.
Wood mice and I have a few things in common (besides our love of seeds) — rather than hibernate, we both fall into a torpor during the winter months (though my state is actually more of a stupor). Also, while foraging, wood mice pick up and distribute visually conspicuous objects, such as leaves and twigs, which they then use as landmarks during exploration. I have to use this technique as well, or else I'd never find my way back home.
Check out that tail!
Good luck, Crazy Mouse!
21 comments:
I never thought I'd be so interested in knowing about a little wood mouse. Very nice photograph of Crazy Mouse. Thank you very much
Oh I love this post! Your mouse is adorable, I thought I knew all about them, but no! Your pictures and anecdotes are wonderful, thank you very much too!
I love Crazy Mouse. I hope he/she does well out there!
I'd be tempted to keep this cutie as a pet.
Thanks for the pictures. I've never seen a wood mouse before. It's tail reminded me of my son's pet rats...no longer with us thankfully.
Have a wonderful weekend.
I can see why that mouse's name is Crazy Mouse.
Because that mouse is crazy!
;- )
These photos and story are simply delightful. So glad you thought to shoot through the holes in the box. Love it all.
What great photos...you are really good at this
And bless you for relocating this wonderful creature of the woods
Love the photos inside the box! And the one with the nose sticking out... cute!
Crazy Mouse was lucky to get you for a neighbor.... you should have banded him/her to see if the next wood mouse in your house is crazy mouse again! I hear they like to frequent the same places. If you cross a stream to release him/her, I think you're chances are better... or am I making that up?
you could write a children's book illustrated with these wonderful shots! i love the shot of him emerging from the trap into the woods. very cute.
What an adorable little mouse and a great story. Glad you thought to tell it.
wonderful photos. hope hes happy wherever you left him. i used to use these traps when on Cape cod. I took mousey across the street to the conservation area and usually he/they made it back to my house before I did.
Valerianna, J and I have been joking about doing just that. We are a little suspicious about how many mice we've had since we abandoned the snap trap in favor of the catch and release...
Brian, don't even get me started ; )
Anyes, I didn't think so either, honestly ; )
Maggie, I had a pet rat for a while (I was scared of it once it grew out of its cute stage) and this mouse reminded me a little of that too, with the long tail. But his tail wasn't pink. Thank goodness. Rats aren't a problem in the country unless you have chickens, I think.
A task wonderfully done. Those are awesome photographs.
Good luck to your little mouse! What a great childrens story this would make. The illustrations would tell all. And the happy ending was the best part.
The little wood mouse is so, so real! Fetching and real. Foraging, finding, marking, and making a way for itself!
Splendid photographs...how clever and interesting. Something we don't see every, if ever!
I loved it so much!
This whole things really warmed my heart and made me smile.
Thank you!!!!!
J thinks Crazy Mouse might be back...Stay tuned for "Return of Crazy Mouse" perhaps.
wonderful tale/tail.
Great photos! I'm glad that you are the one who caught him so that he could be relocated.
adorable! we discovered one just like this in a baseboard heater in our connecticut home when our son was a toddler. i put a piece of cheddar and a ritz cracker in a baby shoe box, set it on the floor, and waited. in about 10 seconds (really!) the mouse hopped in the box and i put the lid on. we all trooped outside to the woods behind the woodpile and let him go. (never saw him again.) thanks for bringing back the memory : )
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