Wood Mouse

Wood mice are golden-brown with pale undersides and are the most common mouse species in the UK, often spotted in gardens. They are a key prey species for tawny owls. While they favour woodland habitats, they also thrive in farmland, parks, and gardens.

Active throughout the year, wood mice may enter a state of torpor—a temporary reduction in physical activity—during very cold weather.

• A dropping sample with sufficient biological material to be used as a reserve is required in case the extraction is unsuccessful the first time: the fresher a sample is, the more likely the test will be able to extract viable DNA.
• Other viable sample types include fur/hair, tissue and blood.
• Often an identified species in bat dropping analysis as well as through biological analysis.