Mouse or vole?

[bass_junkie83]

Certainly not posting these up for any photographic merit, but curious to know what they are.

My garden backs onto a field, separated by a small stream. I am used to seeing all sorts in our garden, mice, shrews and the occasional rat.

We had a problem with mice in the shed a couple of years ago, attracted by bird seed and ended up trashing loads of fishing luggage for bedding material. Got rid of those when I replaced the rotten old shed for a new once and have kept bird seen in a sealed container ever since and not had any more issues.

But yesterday I noticed I had forgotten to put some away and that the bag had been chewed through. I could hear them scurrying around on the shelves.

I knocked up a trap and caught four of them over night. But now I am just wondering what they are exactly as they are much smaller than the mice I have seen before. First thought was they are just young, but they are also more grey than brown.

 

[Micro-four-thirds]

I would say mice judging by the tail length but I could be wrong.
Lovely animals though, just a nuisance with them eating things for bedding etc.

 

[Box Brownie]

Perhaps @Cobra is 'da man' to advise.

 

[Cobra]

Yes they are mice.
Harvest mice are the smallest, but their faces are more rounded
The best way to tell the difference is by the smell.

House mice leave a particularly pungent smell, field mice don't.
They are young mice, they may get darker with age.

 

[bass_junkie83]

So not some kind of pigmy mouse then!

I didn't notice much smell and the natural habitat they are coming from I guess would lean more to them being field mice. Thanks.

 

[Cobra]

So not some kind of pigmy mouse then!

I'm afraid you haven't discovered a new species
You can tell they are youngsters especially in your image #2
by the body / legs ratio, they'll grow into them.

Plus habitat does have an amount of baring on the coat colour.
ie if they were living in sandy conditions the coat would stain yellow-ish.
but it would be a lot darker in clay soil.