Abstract
The distribution and habitat preference of the harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) was investigated in suburban area on the Tama Hills in east Japan where the grassland was reducing drastically. The field survey was carried out searching globular nests built by harvest mouse. Most of nest sites were detected at abandoned paddy fields on valley bottoms in yato (small valley with paddy fields) and globular nests were made of Miscanthus sacchariflorus stems and multiple wetland plants. In the survey area there were a lot of nest site with low number of globular nests, and it was clarified that most of nest sites were isolated. To elucidate the relationship between total number of globular nests and environmental factors, multiple regression analysis of grid 250x250m was applied. As a result, number of globular nests significantly correlated with length of bottom of valley-forest edge and proportion of abandoned paddy field. It was considered that maintain of yato landscape with growth of wetland plants and agricultural environment in suburban area were important for conservation of small animals such as harvest mouse.
