New Species? Diving Mouse!

[Sunbeam56]

So I decided to do some weeding in the pond. The water weeds don't flower, and they interfere with the water lilies.
The dogs were nosing around the iris and flushed out a mouse.
She looked like a field mouse. Sort of small, basically grey.
But instead of swimming like a mouse, she dives. Most mice, in my prior experience, swim on the surface of the water. This one dives like a reptile. And her fur repels water like a duck.
She pops down, in the clear water I can see her swimming through the roots of the water weeds, and pops back up, halfway across the pond. 

I think its a girl, because she kept coming back to the iris, where I was working, and hung around watching in the water behind me until I left.
She must have a nest in the water iris reeds. 

Learn something new every day!

[water_sprite]

Awwww, how cute.  Rats bother me but I think mice are cute!

[Julles]

Maybe it's some other kind of water-loving rodent??

Or, have you Googled "water mouse" to see if there is a species that swims?

[uoflkim]

Oh my gosh, thats so cute. Wonder where I can get me one of those   

[Esther]

http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/search.php?freetext=water+mouse&modifier=phrase&criteria=wholedb&taxa_species=1&redlistCategory%5B%5D=all&country%5B%5D=all&cty_default=1&aquatic%5B%5D=all&aqu_default=1&regions%5B%5D=all&reg_default=1&habitats%5B%5D=all&threats%5B%5D=all&redlistAssessyear%5B%5D=all&growths%5B%5D=all

[Ky Kim]

I bet that was a cute site to see. 

Kim

[Sunbeam56]

My Dad says it must be a "harvest mouse". So I researched it. There are two possibilities, the western harvest mouse and the fulvous harvest mouse. Of the two, the most likely is the western harvest mouse. A subspecies of the Western Harvest Mouse is the "Salt Water Harvest Mouse" - which is what they are called in San Francisco. The salt water subspecies also has a slightly pinker fur on the tummy.

I didn't see this mouse's tummy - but its a long walk to San Francisco.

I'm guessing its a Western Harvest Mouse. 

[Sandye]

How cute!  You need to take your camera out and see if you can get a picture of her.   

Just don't try to pick her up.  My sister tried to pick up an adorable little field mouse many, many years ago. Sadly, she was bitten for her trouble.    

[marla]

Not something I'd want to see swimming in my pond, my it would give me a good startle.

[tracey_shafer]

Yes we need a picture of her. from the list that Ester found it sounds like they might be an endangered species. Just don't report its living in your pond {:-P;;or who knows who or what would show up to "save her"

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