Myszki w tulipanach

These tulip towers make for a BLOOMIN’ good lunch spot! A series of harvest mice are seen nestled within the colourful flowers, eating and hiding inside the heads of the tulips. Harvest mice are Britain's smallest rodents and these were photographed in Ringwood, Hants. Miles Herbert said, “They can weigh as little as 4 grams as adults although most weigh around 6 grams which is less than a 2 pence piece.” “Harvest mice are opportunistic feeders, feeding on many flowers and are one of our pollinators, albeit in a destructive way. They are also neophobic and have an inherent fear of new things. This means that they have to learn to trust new food sources.” Please byline: Miles Herbert/CaptiveLight/Solent News © Miles Herbert/CaptiveLight/Solent News & Photo Agency UK +44 (0) 2380 458800 *** Local Caption *** When and where were these shots taken? These were taken in in April/May 2024 What species of mouse is this? Are they common here? There are Harvest Mice or Micromys minutus - Britains smallest rodent and the only British mammal to have a prehensile tail. They can weigh as little as 4g as adults although most weigh around 6g ... less than a UK 2 Pence coin. They are found all over the South of the UK up to around Yorkshire where they find it harder to colonise due to the colder winter conditions. This same mouse is found all the way across the old world from the UK to Japan. Can you describe what is happening in these images? I can see they are posed shots, do these mice shelter in tulips and other flowers in the wild. Harvest mice eating inside a tulip. Harvest mice are opportunistic feeders ... so if they came across a tulip and found out that the stamens inside are tasty they would eat them. Harvest Mice feed on many flowers and are one of the pollinators (albeit in a destructive way!).They are also "neophobic" and have an inherent fear/distrust of new things. This means that they have to learn to trust new food sources. How were you able to capture these images? The Harvest Mice are naturally inquisitive and these captive bred ones are given new things for "enrichment" or in other words to explore and stimulate their natural foraging nature. Tulips are just part of that enrichment during the spring and they love them! I just take photos as they do their thing! The mice are not wild ... they are generation upon generation of captive bred animals that are raised in this environment meaning that when being photographed they really don't even notice it and just go about their mousie business. We are fully licensed to keep them and work with them.