White Foot Mouse

The White Foot Mouse is a tiny mammal that inhabits the island, some of the main prey for the Spotted Midnight Owlet.

Description

Small even for a standard field mouse, the White Foot Mouse is described as 'thumb size' and tiny, approx. one and a half inches from nose to tailtip. Darker grey fur covers their body, while their tails and ears are a lighter grey, and their feet are a color which lends them their name, though more a soft grey than a true white.

Habitat, Behavior and Diet

Living primarily within the forests of Yuriba, the White Foot Mouse lives within the roots of older trees, relying upon the roots which have broken the surface of the ground to shelter within rather than dig their own holes. During dryer years the mice can occasionally be found living in the sandy ground around the mangroves, but for the large part avoid being too close to any open sources of water. Unsurprisingly skittish and timid, the mouse is not often seen at all, hidden below leaf litter or in tunnels dug into the snow in the winter, largely active in the twilight and evening. When it comes to breeding, every spring the mouse will find a new partner, occasionally remaining with the mate from the year before but most often finding new, building a den and raising multiple litters of young. Omnivorous, the white foot mouse will eat what it's able, from seeds to insects; if they can find it and eat it, they will, regardless of the time of year. The mouse does not hoard food, relying upon whatever it can find.

Since the Village's founding

Despite the habits of their kin in most other worlds, the White Foot Mouse has shown no inclination to invading the buildings and homes of the village. They have been known to investigate any private gardens and sample the vegetation, but simple deterrents such as placing cut humanoid hair or a shiny pinwheel near to the garden have proven to be excellent at keeping the mice at bay.