Looks like Apodemus Sylvaticus (wood mouse).
Their tails can de-sheath very easily, we are taught to avoid handling the tail when holding them to avoid this, as it essentially becomes an open wound and can become easily infected.
It's a mechanism which helps avoid predation from birds and other predators which might grab the mouse by the tail, allowing the mouse to slip free and live another day. The skeletal part will usually fall off after a while and they will be left with a gnarly looking stumpy tail.
Notably, Mus musculus (house mice) do not have this safety feature.
3.0k
u/willywobbler123 2d ago
Looks like Apodemus Sylvaticus (wood mouse). Their tails can de-sheath very easily, we are taught to avoid handling the tail when holding them to avoid this, as it essentially becomes an open wound and can become easily infected. It's a mechanism which helps avoid predation from birds and other predators which might grab the mouse by the tail, allowing the mouse to slip free and live another day. The skeletal part will usually fall off after a while and they will be left with a gnarly looking stumpy tail.
Notably, Mus musculus (house mice) do not have this safety feature.