Ochrotomys nuttalli                                                Photo Chris Burney ©

The strikingly beautiful golden mouse is semi-arboreal and has a prehensile tail. The fur is golden or orangish cinnamon on the upperparts, while the underparts and feet are white, sometimes tinged with gold.

These tiny mice are especially common in dense woodlands with vines and heavy brush or palmettos, and habitats with thick undergrowth near water. Golden mice are quite arboreal, often nesting and foraging above the ground. They build feeding platforms in vines and Spanish moss where they feed on seeds, nuts and berries

The golden mouse sometimes builds its nest in a clump of Spanish moss or use an old bird’s nest. They breed throughout the year and females give birth to two or three young in a litter.

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