Oldfield mice are widely distributed in sandy areas across the southeastern United States. Beach mice have small bodies, haired tails, large ears, protuberant eyes, and pelage colors that blend with the soil types found in their respective habitat. These mice are habitat specialists in the scrub dunes bordering the ocean and apparently do not tolerate a wide variety of habitats or conditions.
Beach mice are nocturnal animals and, thus, spend most of the daylight hours in burrows.
These burrows normally consist of an entrance tube, a nest cavity, and an escape tube. One of the primary foods for beach mice is sea oats, the tall, picturesque plant that is so often associated with Gulf Coast scenery. Due primarily to habitat loss as a result of real estate development on beautiful Gulf Coast beaches, five subspecies of Beach Mice are currently listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, one is listed as threatened and one is considered to be extinct. Recent intense human occupation of coastal areas has fractured what once was semi-contiguous frontal dunes into fragmented patches of habitat. This reduction in the areas available to Beach Mice has resulted in numerous problems which collectively threaten the continued existence of this important member of the coastal ecosystem.