Family: Muridae, Mice and Rats view all from this family

Description Medium-sized mouse with golden upperparts and creamy-colored underparts and feet. Pelage is very soft and hairs are very fine. Attractive and relatively docile. Degree of brightness of color varies by subspecies. Tail semi-prehensile and used in climbing, as this species is fairly arboreal and builds nests and feeding platforms in vines, trees, and Spanish moss.

Dimensions 140-190mm, 67-97mm, 18-27g

Habitat Forests & woodlands, Swamps, marshes & bogs, Scrub, shrub & brushlands

Range Plains, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Florida, Texas

Discussion They feed on seeds, nuts, and berries of plants such as Sumac, cherry, dogwood, blackberry, and greenbrier, as well as occasional invertebrates. Uses densely forested lowlands and floodplain communities, often including honeysuckle, greenbrier, or other vines. Rarely encountered in or near human habitations.