A small mouse that climbs long grasses and reeds with its grasping tail.
Its back is reddish yellow, its underside is white, and it has small hairy ears and a blunt nose.
Harvest mice build spherical nests of woven grass leaves about a metre above ground during the breeding season. Their winter nest sites were less well known. In winter 2016, researchers revisited 19 small semi-natural grasslands previously surveyed in breeding seasons and recorded nests and vegetation. They found 12 winter nests in nine grasslands.
Winter nests averaged 28.92 cm above ground, lower than summer nests. Winter vegetation cover was positively associated with nest locations, while winter mowing had a negative effect. Plant height alone did not affect winter nest distribution. The authors noted that plants about 30 cm tall may be important where winter nests are common. The findings suggest retaining ground-level cover when managing such grasslands in winter.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
In the 19 Japanese semi-natural grasslands surveyed in winter 2016, winter vegetation cover was positively associated with overwintering nest distribution, while winter mowing had a negative effect. The authors noted that plants about 30 cm tall may matter where nests are common. This local, seasonal study does not establish a formal conservation category or a population trend for the species as a whole.