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 Antinutritional effects of acorns and tannic acid on the Japanese wood mouse Apodemus speciosus were examined in the laboratory. The first feeding experiment was conducted for 15 days using three types of diet: control diet (laboratory chow for mice), acorns of Quercus serrata (QS), and acorns of Q. mongolica var. grosseserrata (QM), which differ in tannin content (control, tannin free; QS, 2.7% tannic acid equivalent; QM, 8.5%). Six and one of eight mice died in the QM and QS groups, respectively, whereas all mice survived in good health in the control group. Body weight in the QM and QS groups decreased as much as 23.6% and 16.8% in the first 5 days, respectively, whereas that in the control group did not change significantly. Dry matter intake in the QM group was 50.0% and 38.7% less than that in the control and QS, respectively. Apparent dry matter digestibility was not different among the diets …