Striped field mouse
This is a small mouse weighing 18-23 grams with reddish brown dorsal pelage and ash white belly. Along the center of its back is a distinctive, longitudinal, black band. This is the only striped mouse in Taiwan. It mainly inhabits fields along forest margins at 1,000 meters or less above sea level and also invades farmland to find food. During the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945), it was the most common mouse species in Taiwan. However, in recent years, populations in western Taiwan have sharply declined and it is only found in scattered areas in eastern Taiwan. Further investigations and assessments are necessary to determine whether the decline in numbers is due to threats to its habitats.
Text/Chen Yan-Jun, Chen Mu-Xuan
Photo/Huang Xiao-Ting
