How does the Ryukyu mouse dig its burrows in rice-field dikes?

The Ryukyu mouse (M. caroli) utilizes a simple but effective excavation technique to create its burrows in rice-field dikes. The mouse loosens the soil using its incisor teeth and then carries the debris in its mouth to pile it outside the burrow entrance. Alternatively, it may stack the loose soil inside the tunnel before using its hind feet to push the pile out.1

In the diked rice fields of Thailand, the presence of these mice is often indicated by small piles of soil located below holes in the dike. Each hole serves as an opening to a tunnel that extends upward to a nest chamber positioned above the water level, eventually leading to another opening on the opposite side of the dike.1