Pontic mouse
Apodemus ponticus
Alexander Goncharov · Adler
Key facts in one look
- Diet
- Seeds, grain, nuts, insects
- Status in Georgia
- Native
- Size
- Body 8.3–10.3 cm, tail 9.7–10.4 cm
- Habitat
- Mixed forest, forest-steppe, scrub
- Family
- Muridae
- Conservation
- LC / LC
The Pontic mouse (Apodemus ponticus) lives almost only in the Caucasus: in southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and also in north-western Iran. It looks so like the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) that for a long time it was treated as part of that species or even as a hybrid. It lives in mixed forest, forest-steppe, grassy fields and dense scrub. It is active at night, eats seeds, grain and nuts, and stores food. Do not pick one up: like other rodents it can carry diseases.
Identification
Pontic mouse: how to identify it
A medium-sized wood mouse with a tail slightly longer than its body. It looks very like the yellow-necked mouse. In Iranian populations it is told apart by a large, well-marked spot on the throat.
The body is 8.3–10.3 cm long, the tail 9.7–10.4 cm, the ear 1.4–2.1 cm and the hind foot 2.1–2.4 cm. No separate body weight data exist.
It is hard to tell from the yellow-necked mouse and other wood mice by sight. A sure identification needs measurements, chromosomes or genetic analysis. So a photo will take you only as far as “a wood mouse”, and the animal is best left alone.
It is a mouse of mixed forest, forest-steppe, grassy fields and dense scrub. Its range covers the Caucasus: southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. In 2013 it was also found in north-western Iran, on the western slope of the Zagros Mountains, and it may occur in Iraq. Few exact places where it lives in Georgia have been described.
It eats seeds, grain, nuts and insects, in varying proportions. It gathers and stores food, nuts among it.
It lives on the ground and is active at night. It digs its own burrow or uses natural cavities in the ground. It breeds in spring and summer, and a litter averages five young. Nothing is known about its social life or home range.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes. Georgia is part of its Caucasian range, together with southern Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It favours mixed forest, forest-steppe, grassy fields and dense scrub. Its exact distribution within the country is poorly described.
By sight, you almost cannot. Both are medium-sized wood mice with long tails. In Iran the Pontic mouse is told apart by a large, clear throat spot, but a sure identification takes measurements, chromosomes or genetic analysis. Take a photo and leave the animal alone.
That is disputed. For a long time it was treated as part of the yellow-necked mouse or as a hybrid. In 1996 analyses of chromosomes and proteins recognised it as a separate species. Some researchers still treat it as a synonym of the yellow-necked mouse, so its status may change with new studies.
No, it is not threatened. Globally it is rated Least Concern (LC, 2016), and in Georgia the 2021 national assessment also rates it Least Concern (LC), with a stable population. It also lives in protected areas.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
