The Field Mouse (An Luch Fhéir) --: The field mouse is one of our prettiest little animals. My house is just a cross the road from a field and I often see them running in ond out in search of food. Field mice are very active animals, running, hopping or climbing always on the lookout for something nice to eat.  The field mouse has a long tail and long legs, large ears and they have small eyes and a bright golden brown coat. There are found in fields and grasslands. The field mouse nests in leaves and sometimes they burrow underneath the ground,making rooms to store food and have its young. They sleep during the day and move around at night. They are very active animals, running, hopping or climbing always on the look-out for ripe corn, peas, berries, nuts and  insects. The breeding nest is made of shredded grass and  is found at the end of the burrow. The mother field mouse produces a litter of four to eight babies and she may have three or more litters in one year. The young are born blind and they open their eyes in about a fortnight. 

They remain in the family home, even when they are fully-grown, sharing it with brothers and sisters and other relatives. Field mice have a good reason to be nervous, for they have many enemies such as cats, dogs, stoats, foxes and crows. Field mice do not hibernate, although they are less active in the winter. They have the food, which they stored in burrows or holes during autumn. 

The field mouse can swim and climb well but is rarely found far from its home. Like many rodents, its diet is largely vegetarian. It has specially adapted teeth for gnawing and has only one pair of upper incisors or sharp teeth. I once saw a field mouse down in a cornfield across the road from my house, when  I was with my sister Corrina. He was running across the ground and he touched off my legs. I got a fright.My mother hates mice.

Kenneth Coffey

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