Week 39: Wood Mouse (‘Apodemus sylvaticus’)

The Wood Mouse was @SpeciesofUK from 21^st to 27^th October, 2013.

The wood mouse is a rodent from the Muridae family (mice, rats and gerbils). Muridae is the largest mammal family in the world, containing over 700 species.[1]

Wood Mouse
[Flickr Creative Commons © Isfugl]

The wood mouse can be found across Europe from Iceland to Ukraine. It's also native to the northern coast of Africa in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.[2] 

Week 3: Eurasian Beaver (Castor Fiber)

The Eurasian Beaver was @SpeciesofUK from 16th to 22nd December 2012.

There are two species of beavers: the North American Beaver and the Eurasian Beaver. Eurasian beavers are sightly the larger of the two species, and have narrower muzzles and tails.  North American Beavers tend to build larger dams on bigger rivers.

By 1900, Eurasian beavers had been hunted near to extinction, with just 1,200 individuals left. Now, they are widespread from the UK to China and Mongolia.¹

The Eurasian beaver is the world's second largest rodent after the capybara. Unusually for mammals, female beavers are (slightly) larger than males.²