Very small eyes Tail short, about one-third total length Brown fur, gray on underside
The Meadow Mouse is by far the most common mammal of Castle Neck. Its burrows may be seen just under the grass in all areas having ground cover. It feeds on many of the trees in the area, chewing the bark around the base. This girdling will eventually kill the tree. While this habit makes Meadow Mice undesirable, they fortunately prefer the smaller herbaceous plants when they are available. Although common, Meadow Mice are seldom seen because their days are spent running through their burrows. These may extend over an area of many square yards.
Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius)
Tail longer than body, sparsely haired White underside, olive-yellow back
Occasionally when one is walking in the grassy fields, a Jumping Mouse will suddenly bound away in leaps averaging three or four feet. If it is really frightened, these leaps may carry the mouse as far as ten feet. In the United States the Jumping Mouse is much more closely related to the Porcupine than to true mice. Un-mouse-like, it hibernates in an underground nest during the winter months. Jumping Mice eat both insects and plants.
DOGLIKE MAMMALS: FOXES
Red Fox (Vulpes fulva)
Looks like a long-legged dog Reddish fur; feet and ears black Large bushy tail, white on tip