With a species name like Micromys minutus, you’re pretty much guaranteed the animal is going to be the smallest of the small. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo is known for the diversity of small creatures it features in the 12-acre park, but this new exhibit just might feature the tiniest.

A colony of Eurasian harvest mice has taken residence in the Animals in Art area of the Animals in Our Lives building. These tiny mice – the smallest of European mice – average around two inches in length. They feature light tan fur coats with a cream colored underbelly. One of their most interesting features is their prehensile tail – an appendage that has been adapted to allow them to grasp. This, combined with their specially adapted hind feet, allows the harvest mouse to easily climb the thin stalks where it builds its nests.

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