Molecular identification of three sympatric species of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus, A-flavicollis, A-alpicola) in western Europe (Muridae : Rodentia)

The woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) and yellow-necked fieldmouse (Apodelnus flavicollis) are sympatric and even syntopic in many regions throughout their European range. Their field discrimination on the basis of external characters is a real challenge for many fields of research. The problem is even more complicated in the Alpine chain where they live sympatrically with a third similar species: A. alpicola. A rapid and simple method is proposed to discriminate the three species in processing field-collected biopsies as well as ethanol-preserved museum samples