A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse ( Mus musculus). Mice are also popular as pets. In some places, certain kinds of Apodemus are locally common. They are known to invade homes for food and shelter.
Mice are typically distinguished from by their size. Generally, when a muroid rodent is discovered, its common name includes the term mouse if it is smaller, or rat if it is larger. The common terms rat and mouse are not taxonomically specific. Typical mice are classified in the genus Mus, but the term mouse is not confined to members of Mus and can also apply to species from other genera such as the deer mouse.
Fancy mouse sold as pets often differ substantially in size from the common house mouse. This is attributable to breeding and different conditions in the wild. The best-known strain of mouse is the white Laboratory mouse. It has more uniform traits that are appropriate to its use in research.
, wild , , birds of prey, and certain kinds of have been known to prey upon mice. Despite this, mice populations remain plentiful. Due to its remarkable adaptability to almost any ecological niche, the mouse is one of the most successful mammalian genera living on Earth today.
In certain contexts, mice can be considered vermin. Vermin are a major source of crops damage,
Primarily Nocturnality
In the wild, mice are known to build intricate burrows. These burrows have long entrances and are equipped with escape tunnels. In at least one species, the architectural design of a burrow is a genetic trait.
Types of animals known as mice
The most common mice are
Murinae, in the same clade as
Rattus. They are murids, along with gerbils and other close relatives.
Emotions
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology have confirmed that mice have a range of facial expressions. They used machine vision to spot familiar human emotions like pleasure, disgust, nausea, pain, and fear.
Diet
In nature, mice are largely
, consuming any kind of fruit or grain from plants.
However, mice adapt well to urban areas and are known for eating almost all types of food scraps. In captivity, mice are commonly fed commercial pelleted mouse diet. These diets are nutritionally complete, but they still need a large variety of vegetables.
Despite popular belief, most mice do not have a special appetite for cheese. They will only eat cheese for lack of better options.
Human use
As experimental animals
Mice are common
animals in laboratory research of
biology and
psychology fields primarily because they are
, and also because they share a high degree of homology with humans. They are the most commonly used
model organism, more common than
rats. The mouse
genome has been sequenced, and virtually all mouse
have human homologs. The mouse has approximately 2.7 billion base pairs and 20 pairs of chromosomes.
They can also be manipulated in ways that are illegal with humans, although
animal rights activists often object. A
knockout mouse is a genetically modified mouse that has had one or more of its genes made inoperable through a
gene knockout. Experimental mouse model systems include mouse models of colorectal and intestinal cancer, mouse models of Down syndrome and mouse models of breast cancer metastasis.
Reasons for common selection of mice are that they are small and inexpensive, have a widely varied diet, are easily maintained, and can reproduce quickly. Several of mice can be observed in a relatively short time. Mice are generally very docile if raised from birth and given sufficient human contact. However, certain strains have been known to be quite temperamental.
As pets
Many people buy mice as companion pets. They can be playful, loving and can grow used to being handled. Like pet rats, pet mice should not be left unsupervised outside as they have many natural predators, including (but not limited to) birds, snakes, lizards, cats, and dogs. Male mice tend to have a stronger odor than the females. However, mice are careful groomers and as pets they never need bathing. Well looked-after mice can make ideal pets. Some common mouse care products are:
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Cage – Usually a hamster or gerbil cage, but a variety of special mouse cages are now available. Most should have a secure door.
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Pet food – Special pelleted and seed-based food is available. Mice can generally eat most rodent food (for rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, etc.)
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Bedding – Usually made of hardwood pulp, such as aspen, sometimes from shredded, un paper or recycled virgin wood pulp. Using corn husk bedding is avoided because it promotes Aspergillus fungus, and can grow mold once it gets wet, which is rough on their feet.
As feed
Mice are a staple in the diet of many small
carnivores. In various countries mice are used as feed
[ Food – Frozen mice & rats , Canberra Exotic Pets / reptilesinc.com.au, accessed 14 November 2009] for pets such as
snakes,
lizards,
frogs,
tarantulas, and birds of prey, and many pet stores carry mice for this purpose. Such mice are sold in various sizes and with various amounts of fur. Mice without fur are easier for the animal to consume; however, mice with fur may be more convincing as animal feed.
As food
Humans have eaten mice since
Prehistory. In Victorian Britain, fried mice were still given to children as a folk remedy for
Enuresis;
[Flora Thompson, Lark Rise to Candleford (Oxford 1949) p. 504] while
Jared Diamond reports creamed mice being used in England as a dietary supplement during Second World War rationing.
[J Diamond, The World until Yesterday (Penguin 2012) p. 314] Mice are a delicacy throughout eastern
Zambia and northern
Malawi,
where they are a seasonal source of
protein. Field rat is a popular food in Vietnam and neighboring countries.
In many countries, however, mouse is no longer a food item.
Prescribed cures in Ancient Egypt included mice as medicine.
See also
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Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey, mice who orbited the Moon a record 75 times in 1972 on Apollo 17
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List of fictional rodents
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Mouse brain development timeline
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Mousetrap
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Musophobia (fear of mice)
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Rodentology
External links
