The Taiwan field mouse, also called Formosan wood mouse (Apodemus semotus), is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found only in Taiwan.[1][2]
The Taiwan field mouse is primarily distributed in the montane region between 1,400 and 3,000 m.[3] They inhabit various habitat types, such as natural or planted forests, grasslands, farms, and campsites, and are omnivorous feeding on plants, insects and fungi.[4]
Based on morphological measurements, it has been suggested that the Taiwan field mouse is not different from the South China field mouse (Apodemus draco), and should not be considered as a separate species.[5]
The Taiwan field mouse is sexually dimorphic, with male generally larger than females (male: 25.6 ± 0.5 g; female: 23.8 ± 0.5 g[6]). Mark-capture-recapture data suggest that their life span may be less than 1 year in the wild.[7]
^Yu, H. T. (1994). "Distribution and abundance of small mammals along a subtropical elevational gradient in central Taiwan". Journal of Zoology. 234 (4): 577–600. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1994.tb04866.x.
^Kaneko, Y. (2011). "Taxonomic status of Apodemus semotus in Taiwan by morphometrical comparison with A. draco, A. peninsulae and A. latronum in China, Korea and Myanmar". Mammal Study. 36: 11–22. doi:10.3106/041.036.0102. S2CID86147955.
^Shaner, P. L.; Wu, S. H.; Ke, L.; Kao, S. J. (2013). "Trophic divergence reduces survival in an omnivorous rodent". Evolutionary Ecology Research. 15: 1–14.
