All rights reserved. This document may be used, with this header included, for noncommercial purposes within a subscribed institution . No copies of this work may be distributed electronically outside of the subscribed institution, in whole or in part, without written permission from the JHU Press . Bianchi et al. The pelage is soft and full, varying above from mouse gray to dark brown.
Some species have a red hue to the fur.
The underside is white to dark gray, tinged with fulvous. Females have eight mammae. South American field mice occur in a variety of habitats, including relatively arid country, grasslands, humid forests, and mountain meadows. The altitudinal range is from near sea level to about 5,000 meters. Some species are frequently found in human houses.