Page 16 - World of Animals - Issue #39

Adorable acrobats

Nest building

They can quickly build some incredibly complex nests

Harvest mice are talented weavers that use cricket ball. Since it is up to 10 centimetres (3.94 reed and rush stalks. While they are not as well
living grasses to create intricate, spherical nests inches) wide and secured within vegetation, it made, much smaller (generally the size of a golf
that are poised up to one metre (3.28 feet) or is difficult for predators to spot – perfect for ball) and loosely woven, they are perfect for
so above the ground. breeding. When the leaves die off, the nest is sleeping and for storing food. They are typically
Pregnant females typically start building their abandoned, since its camouflaging properties found at the bottom of plant stems or even
nests from around May, ten days before they are have been lost. under rocks, and they tend to be closer to the
due to give birth. It’s a fascinating process that Breeding nests are not the only temporary ground than breeding nests. Finding abandoned
takes around three days and results in a hollow, homes for the harvest mice, though. They also harvest mice nests is a good indication of how
secure structure that’s only slightly larger than a create nests for winter in between the grass, plentiful they are in a particular area.

1. The mouse grabs hold of a
grass stem with its tail and hind
feet before shredding the grass
leaves through its incisors – all
while still attached to the stalk.

3. Hanging between stems,
it then works from the
inside, lining the nest by
pulling other leaves through
the outer wall until a hollow
structure is formed.

2. By weaving the free ends
of numerous stripped and
weakened leaves (which are 4. When complete, the female
down to a single, vertically finds its way inside and closes
split vein), the mouse is able the hole. She creates one nest
to form the basic structure for each litter. The time taken to
of the nest. build the nest varies between
three sunny to seven wet days.

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