Large Japanese field mouse
| Large Japanese field mouse | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Apodemus |
| Species: | A. speciosus |
| Binomial name | |
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Apodemus speciosus (Temminck, 1844) |
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The large Japanese field mouse (Apodemus speciosus) is a nocturnal species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Japan.
The species appears to be present on all Japanese islands. It inhabits forests, grasslands, and cultivated fields, including rice paddies, at any altitude. Though occupying the same broad ecological niche as A. argenteus, the two species prefer different microhabitats: A. argenteus prefers dense canopy, while A. speciosus prefers open secondary forests.
Large Japanese field mice forage primarily at night, likely to avoid predation. They are known to be seed-eating mice, particularly around autumn and winter, as the mice hoard acorns and walnuts, which comprise 13-100% of their food. This makes them effective seed dispersers. Mast seeding can have serious effects on field mouse populations, including increases in overwinter survival, winter reproduction, and population density.
Large Japanese field mice have been observed changing their typical foraging behavior in response to varying light conditions. In response to higher light intensity, A. speciosus significantly decreases time outside of the nest, length of excursions, and food eaten compared to periods of dark. Additionally, the mice tend to carry food back to their nests during periods of light as opposed to eating away from the nest as they normally would in the dark. These behavioral changes are thought to be an adaptation to help the mice avoid potential predators, avoiding, for example, well-lit areas on the ground as they forage at night. Differences in such changes in behavior allow for the fulfillment of specific niches, as is observed between A. speciosus and A. argenteus, which react to light differently because of their differing body size.
Many of the acorns and nuts consumed by this species have high tannin levels, making them highly toxic to rodents in high doses. Large Japanese field mice display specific physiological and behavioral adaptations to deal with this toxicity. A. speciosus is able to acclimate to nuts with high tannin levels by secretion of specialized proteins and recruitment of bacteria to aid in digestion. It also displays a proactive foraging preference for acorns with lower levels of tannin and related proteins. These changes are evolutionarily adaptive by allowing the mice to deal with or avoid tannin consumption.
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Wikipedia