There are many kinds of wild mice which can be found in the mountains, in fields and woodlands, in swamps, near streams and in deserts. The short-tailed field mouse, also called a vole, is one of these. It is only about five inches long, including its stubby tail. It lives underground in damp meadows. It can be a real nuisance when it eats the seeds of newly sown wheat and later devours the mature wheat heads. This mouse also gets into barns and storage bins. Some farmers keep several cats around to catch these pests.
The white-footed or deer mouse is six to eight inches long and has large ears, bright eyes and gray fur, but white belly fur and feet. This mouse is not so destructive since most of its food is seeds of wild plants, nuts and berries. But it can cause problems in orchards by eating tender bark and roots. It makes its nest outdoors, storing food for winter and carefully cleaning every bit of it before storing it away.
The grasshopper mouse is about the same size as the house mouse but looks fatter. This one is unusual in that it is a meat eater rather than a plant eater. It is helpful to people by feeding mainly on grasshoppers and other insects, including scorpions. It also eats worms and almost any little animal it can overpower, even other grasshopper mice.
The outdoor pocket mouse, though tiny, has a long tail with a brush on the end, enabling it to jump three or four feet into the air. After filling its cheek pouches with food, it scampers off to its nest, packing the food away and rushing back for more. It wisely covers the openings to its runways while absent. Although wild, if caught and held gently, this little fellow acts like a pet and likes being stroked with a finger.
Two other interesting mice are the Japanese waltzing mouse, that hops around in circles for no apparent reason, and the singing mouse, which chirps a wide range of notes, but not in a melodious way.
All of these mice are closely related, but the Creator has made each a distinct variety. How do you think they learned all these interesting ways? They did not need to learn them because they are God-given instincts, passed on from generation to generation.
The Bible tells us that God feeds all His creatures: “The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat [food] in due season” (Psalm 145:1515The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. (Psalm 145:15)). He also provides the food for you and me by wisely sending the necessary sunshine and rain for plants to thrive - the source of everything we eat. Before you eat your meals, do you stop to thank Him for your food?
ML-01/06/2002