As we face unprecedented times, it’s good to remind ourselves of all the beauty nature has to offer us. So what better way to do that than by taking a moment to admire these adorable harvest mice exploring gorgeous tulips.
Herbert’s passion to shoot Eurasian harvest mice (Micromys minutus) is due to their incredibly playful and occasionally destructive nature. Additionally, it is also because of their unique anatomy.
“Harvest mice are the smallest mammals in Europe that have a prehensile tail,” Herbert said.
In his series of pictures that he has captured over the years, the mice are spotted curling their bodies in strikingly colored beautiful tulip blooms. Surprisingly, although these tulips look fragile, they are able to have the strength to welcome and hold these cute animals, which measure up to 2–3 inches.
The photographer further explained that the harvest mice have a lot of fun and get a snack at the same time. “The mice love to eat the stamens and nectar from the flowers and enjoy climbing in and out of the tulips.”
In Herbert’s pictures, some of the mice use their long tails to get a grip and make their way around the flowers to get at the stamens. A couple of the harvest mice have climbed inside the tulip flowers, which happen to make a perfect cozy bed for them to relax on and probably take a little nap.
For those who worry about where the mice come from and how they’re treated, it is known that they are well taken care of. “Nearly all the animals we photograph are captive bred, the mice are bred to release into the wild at a local nature reserve—we prefer to use captive-bred animals rather than disturbing wild populations,” Herbert said.
