Mouse allies:

• Hares: also intelligent, but lack opposable thumbs and tend to think more slowly than mice do. Being naturally much larger, they sometimes establish working trade agreements with the mice, acting as mounts and wagon-pullers in exchange for food and shelter. From the wiki: “Not all mice understand hares. These creatures speak softly and with few words. In fact, many mice fail to notice hares speaking at all. Those that take the time find hares to be spartan, stoic, and reserved. There are a few guardsmice who have been trained to work with the hares. They have fashioned tack and harness to fit the bodies of the hares for riding or towing. It is not easy to ride hares. Unless trained in how to address them, most mice will have no luck getting hares to listen to them, let alone ride them.”
• Ducks and geese: also intelligent, but larger and slower than Hares, they also have less of a direct interest in dealing with the Mice, because they are more capable of handling themselves. There are occasional circumstances where trade agreements have been made, and sometimes held, but the Mice very rarely have goods or services of value to them. Ducks and geese are, at best, seasonal allies, because they only roost in the Territories during the summer months.  Also, the language and cultural barriers are significant; it requires specialized skills to communicate with them (although certain very bold mice have been known to “tame” and train goslings for mounts.)
• Rats: long-lived, enigmatic, distant, prideful, and treacherous. The rats mostly keep to themselves, living in small, scattered, and isolated groups, occasionally trading with the mice. Unable to efficiently organize because of their deceitful nature and constant infighting, they tell stories of a once-great empire that spanned an area far greater than the current Territories and had mastered the magical arts.  If that were true, then it must have happened long before the mice started keeping records and histories for themselves.
• Crows and Ravens: distant, alien, rarely trustworthy, but occasionally interested in the wares and services offered by clever and dexterous mice. It is worth noting that ravens are known to associate with wolf packs, befriending them, playing with them and leading them to profitable hunting grounds or carrion. It is also worth noting that crows and ravens are not above eating the occasional mouse.  The mouse Em of Appleloft, an experienced adventurer who could converse with all manner of animals, was friendly with a crow to the extent she fit it with a saddle and used it for transport.

Supporting species:

• Beetles and grasshoppers: mostly considered non-sentient, although some examples in the stories are like very smart dogs. They’re raised and cared for essentially as farm animals. Occasionally used for tracking assistance, small pack animals, couriers or messengers, and occasionally even pets.
• Earthworms useful for agricultural purposes, raised in farms and cultivated as a resource
• Ants and termites: crunchy snacks cultivated as an edible resource
• Bees:  Several of the major settlements tend a hive, providing a steady supply of wax and honey.  Most mice don’t think of bees as sentient, and they show little inclination to interact or communicate, but the the beekeeper of Lockhaven was able to call down his entire hive upon an invading army.
• Dragonflies: a handful of mice across the Territories have learned to communicate with and/or train dragonflies as long distance message carriers. Similar efforts have been made with moths and butterflies, with varying results.
• Dragonflies are alien and slightly insane, moths are as reliable as drunkards, butterflies are vain and flighty and pretentious, while beetles are studious and helpful.

Particular foes:

• Weasels: dwell on the southwestern border of the Mouse Territories in a land known as Darkheather. This intelligent species has language, culture and technology. They are also natural enemies of mice. They will kill – and even eat – mice without provocation or hesitation.  Physically, weasels are long and slender creatures about two to four times the size of a mouse. Their sinuous bodies allow them to follow their prey into burrows and narrow places. Weasels are ruled over by an Overlord and a series of lesser Tunnel Lords. Titles are achieved by slaying the weasel currently occupying the position, or by being appointed and then supported by another more powerful weasel. Lords are well-off, never lacking for wealth or comfort. They are never at ease, however. There is always fear, political struggle and danger within a weasel community.
  • Related, but different: Fishers, Ferrets, Minks, Stoats, Sables, and Martens
• Raccoons: dangerous foes of mousekind. They are smart animals who are adept at gaining entry to locked or sealed areas. These solitary prowlers eat anything, including mice. A mouse town is a dream come true for these creatures – it’s breakfast, lunch and dinner, all in one hole. Fortunately for mousekind, raccoons do not have weapons or technology.
• Foxes: Solitary creatures, except when seeking mates or rearing pups, foxes are very dangerous to small creatures, such as mice. Mice are, in fact, part of their preferred diet. Foxes enjoy hunting and playing with them as much as they enjoy eating them. Fortunately for mousekind, foxes do not have weapons or technology.
  • The Scent Border keeps out most of these predators, but they are fast learners and a few figure out the trick every season. These wayward predators must be dealt with by the Guard.
  • Mouse folklore includes the long-ago tale of The Battle of the Hawk’s Mouse and the Fox’s Mouse, in which a fox and a hawk each have their own clan of mice as serfs and subjects. According to the folklore, “It was common, in that time, that all creatures employed mouse protectors, for it was well learned that no animal was as cunning or as courageous as a mouse.” The tale is part of the folklore around the founding members of the Mouse Guard.
• Crabs
• Badgers / Wolverines
• Skunks: waddling, obtuse creatures that seem more of a nuisance than anything else, but they are dangerous when hungry. In the story “Good Coin” in Legends of the Guard Volume Three, there is a skunk sailor who refuses passage on its ship to a mouse because it thinks the proffered coins are just rocks painted gold.
• Snakes
• Hawks/eagles/raptors
• Owls

Others

• Bats: Although not necessarily foes all the time, bats have a history of feeling unwelcome by both beasts of fur and feather, neither group accepting their furry bodies and leathery wings. This has led to most bats to become very distrusting of any creature outside of their kind.  They haven’t exactly been pleasant to others, either.  It is commonly believed that they act as spies and sell information to anyone with a good price.
• Squirrels: belligerent, opinionated, and obnoxious, the various species of squirrel vie for resources with mice, although their short attention spans and combative nature have stunted the progress of their civilization.
  • Tree squirrels are the most common type to be found in the Territories, building secure emplacements in the branches of trees.  
  • While flying squirrels appear to be a harmless, spectacular oddity, they are actually, in fact, quite dangerous to smaller mammals. Mice of the territories refer to it as the “Flying Devil”. Mouse children are warned that if they do not behave, the Flying Devil will swoop into their room at night, carry them off and eat them. The flying squirrel is an omnivore, and young mouse pups are among its favorite prey.
  • Chipmunks resemble small, distinctive squirrels. Rather than living in trees, they dig extensive burrow systems containing multiple chambers – for living, storage and waste. Chipmunks will eat anything they can get their little teeth around – seeds, fruit, nuts, eggs, baby animals and flowers.  
• Spiders: creepy, VERY alien, enigmatic, and their venomous bite can be dangerous. Fortunately, they don’t generally have a particular interest in eating mice.   Mice harvest their silk webbing to spin into cloth for clothes. Spiders above a certain size and age have been known to learn the language of mice… and some are very long lived and very, very interested in stories and news of the world.   
• Whistlepigs (aka Woodchucks) harmless, gentle, and moderately obtuse herbivores with a talent for digging.  Some clever mice have employed them for significant earthwork projects, but they are all too often more trouble than they are worth.   Most of the elders and leaders of population centers in the Mouse Territories would rather not have them around, as they can carelessly create a vast network of tunnels in unfortunate locations.  From the wiki: “They are dedicated burrowers, tunneling up to 30 feet for just one burrow. In and of itself, this isn’t a problem. But whistle pigs are peaceful and non-aggressive and their burrows are often captured by more aggressive creatures such as weasels, raccoons and foxes. In this case, the whistle pig would be killed or chased off, and suddenly the mice have a labyrinthine burrow filled with aggressive predators beneath their feet.
• Bears: Sated, placated, or distracted with offerings of food, then led away from the mouse territories. Mostly kept at bay by the scent border.
• Moose: like unto gods: impossibly massive, implacable and stoic. Rarely seen in the Territories, when they do cross the [Scent Border](), it is the closest the [mice]() come to an earthquake.
  • Moose and mice get along just fine. There are few problems between them. It is what the moose bring with them that is dangerous to the mice. [Wolves]() are never far behind. It behooves the [Guard]() to do all in their power to lead moose out of the Territories and to keep the Scent Border in good care.
• Deer: The [Scent Border]() generally keeps deer away from the Territories; however, every few seasons a herd will be forced across the border by hunger or predators. Though deer pose no physical threat, a herd of deer will devour all of the harvest and forage in the area and leave the [mice]() bereft.