Wildlifeof Thailand
Ryukyu Mouse
Muridae
Photo: Heng Chian Li (iNaturalist) · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Mus caroli
Basic stats
Diet
Plant material and insects
Habitat
Grassland, scrub and cultivated land including rice fields
Range
China and Indochina, Okinawa, and introduced populations in parts of Malesia
Size
Head and body 7.2–9.5cm; tail 7.5–9.5cm
Weight
Up to 19.5g
The Ryukyu mouse is a small murid with coarse bright-brown to grey-brown upperparts and white underparts whose hairs have grey bases. The feet range from dark grey to white, and the tail is dark above and whitish below. Head-and-body length is 7.2–9.5 cm, the tail 7.5–9.5 cm and weight reaches 19.5 g (Wikipedia, cited general species account).
It is nocturnal and terrestrial, nesting in holes in muddy ground that may be marked by a mound at the entrance. It eats plant material and insects and uses grassland, scrub and cultivated land, including rice fields. Native records span China, Indochina and Okinawa, with introductions reported farther south (Wikipedia, cited general species account). It is Nationally Least Concern (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Ryukyu Mouse eat?
- Plant material and insects
- What habitat does the Ryukyu Mouse live in?
- Grassland, scrub and cultivated land including rice fields
- Where is the Ryukyu Mouse found?
- China and Indochina, Okinawa, and introduced populations in parts of Malesia
- How big is the Ryukyu Mouse?
- Head and body 7.2–9.5cm; tail 7.5–9.5cm
- How much does the Ryukyu Mouse weigh?
- Up to 19.5g