Western Harvest Mouse

Western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) is one of the smallest rodent species in this area. They are primarily nocturnal, most active before midnight, on moonless or overcast nights. Found mostly in shrub lands and grasslands, their nests are about the size and shape of a baseball, consisting of grass lined with fine plant material. These nests are located on the ground in clumps of grass, shrubs, or logs, or hanging from vegetation. Each nest has a small entrance on its underside leading to a golf ball sized chamber lined with dandelion fluff or a similar material. Western harvest mice mostly eat seeds, leaves, and stems of grasses and other plants, occasionally eating insects, like grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles.