Mouse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A
mouse (plural:
mice) is a small
mammal belonging to the order of
rodents. The best known mouse species is the common
house mouse (
Mus musculus). It is also a popular
pet. In some places, certain kinds of
field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles. They are known to invade homes for food and occasionally shelter.
The American
White-footed Mouse (
Peromyscus leucopus) and the
deer mouse (
Peromyscus maniculatus), as well as other common species of mouse-like rodents around the world, also sometimes live in houses. These, however, are in other
genera.
Cats, wild
dogs,
foxes,
birds of prey,
snakes and even certain kinds of
arthropods have been known to prey heavily upon mice. Nevertheless, because of its remarkable adaptability to almost any
environment, the mouse is one of the most successful
mammalian genera living on
Earth today.
Mice can at times be harmful
rodents, damaging and eating
crops,
[1] causing structural damages and spreading
diseases through their
parasites and
feces.
[2] In North America, breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse excrements has been linked to
hantavirus, which may lead to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).
Primarily nocturnal animals, mice compensate for their poor eyesight with a keen sense of hearing, and rely especially on their sense of smell to locate food and avoid predators.
[3]
Reproduction
1 day old pups
Breeding onset is at about 50 days of age in both females and males, although females may have their first
estrus at 25–40 days. Mice are polyestrous and breed year round; ovulation is spontaneous. The duration of the
estrous cycle is 4–5 days and estrus itself lasts about 12 hours, occurring in the evening. Vaginal smears are useful in timed matings to determine the stage of the estrous cycle. Mating is usually nocturnal and may be confirmed by the presence of a
copulatory plug in the vagina up to 24 hours post-copulation. The presence of sperm on a vaginal smear is also a reliable indicator of mating.
[4]
Female mice housed together tend to go into anestrus and do not cycle. If exposed to a male mouse or the pheromones of a male mouse, most of the females will go into estrus in about 72 hours. This synchronization of the estrous cycle is known as the
Whitten effect. The exposure of a recently bred mouse to the pheromones of a strange male mouse may prevent implantation (or
pseudopregnancy), a phenomenon known as the
Bruce effect.
[4]
The average gestation period is 20 days. A fertile
postpartum estrus occurs 14–24 hours following
parturition, and simultaneous lactation and gestation prolongs gestation 3–10 days owing to delayed implantation. The average
litter size is 10–12 during optimum production, but is highly strain-dependent. As a general rule,
inbred mice tend to have longer gestation periods and smaller litters than outbred and hybrid mice. The young are called pups and weigh 0.5–1.5 g (0.018–0.053 oz) at birth, are hairless, and have closed eyelids and ears. Cannibalism is uncommon, but females should not be disturbed during parturition and for at least 2 days postpartum. Pups are weaned at 3 weeks of age; weaning weight is 10–12 g (0.35–0.42 oz). If the postpartum estrus is not utilized, the female resumes cycling 2–5 days post-weaning.
[4]
Newborn male mice are distinguished from newborn females by noting the greater
anogenital distance and larger genital papilla in the male. This is best accomplished by lifting the tails of
littermates and comparing
perineums.
[4]
Laboratory mice
Mice are common
experimental animals in
biology and
psychology primarily because they are mammals, and also because they share a high degree of
homology with humans. They are the most commonly used
mammalian model organism, more common than
rats. The mouse
genome has been sequenced, and virtually all mouse
genes have human homologs. They can also be manipulated in ways that would be considered unethical to do with humans (note
Animal Rights). A
knockout mouse is a
genetically engineered mouse that has had one or more of its genes made inoperable through a
gene knockout.
There are other reasons why mice are used in laboratory research. Mice are small, inexpensive, easily maintained, and can reproduce quickly. Several
generations of mice can be observed in a relatively short period of 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. Mice and rats have the same organs in the same places, just different proportions.
Subgenera
All members of the
Mus genus are referred to as mice. However, the term
mouse can also be applied to species outside of this genus.
Mouse often refers to any small muroid rodent, while
rat refers to larger muroid rodents. Therefore these terms are not
taxonomically specific. For simplicity, only the rodent
subgenera belonging to the
Mus genus are listed here.
Genus
Mus - Typical mice
As pets
Pet mice
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, 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:
- Cage – Usually a hamster or gerbil cage, but special mouse cages are now available.
- Food – Special pelleted and seed-based food is available. Mice can generally eat most rodent food (for rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, etc.)
- Bedding – Usually made of hardwood pulp, such as aspen, sometimes from shredded, uninked paper or recycled virgin wood pulp. Using corn husk bedding is avoided because it promotes Aspergillis fungus, and can grow mold once it gets wet, which is rough on their feet.
Nutrition
In nature, mice are
herbivores, consuming any kind of fruit or grain from plants.
[5] Due to this, mice adapt well to urban areas and are known for eating most 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. Food intake is approximately 15 g (0.53 oz) per 100 g (3.5 oz) of body weight per day; water intake is approximately 15 ml (0.53 imp fl oz; 0.51 US fl oz) per 100 g of body weight per day.
[4]
As food
"Pinkies" redirects here. For other uses, see
Pinkie.
"Pinkie" mice for sale as
reptile food
Mice are a staple in the diet of many small
carnivores. Humans have eaten mice since
prehistoric times and still eat them as a delicacy throughout eastern
Zambia and northern
Malawi,
[6], where they are a seasonal source of
protein. Mice are no longer routinely consumed by humans elsewhere.
In various countries mice are used as food
[7] for pets such as
snakes,
lizards,
frogs,
tarantulas and
birds of prey, and many pet stores carry mice for this purpose. Some countries, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, have banned the practice of feeding live mice, citing ethical concerns regarding both predator and prey.
[8]
Common terms used to refer to different ages/sizes of mice when sold for pet food are "pinkies", "fuzzies", "crawlers", "hoppers", and "adults".
[9] Pinkies are newborn mice that have not yet grown fur; fuzzies have some fur but are not very mobile; hoppers have a full coat of hair and are fully mobile but are smaller than adult mice. Mice without fur are easier for the animal to consume, however mice with fur may be more convincing as animal feed. These terms are also used to refer to the various growth stages of
rats (see
Fancy rat).
Use for sense of smell
Israeli scientists have tested mice as a new airport security detectors. It consists of three concealed cartridges each containing eight specially trained mice. If they senses traces of explosives or drugs, they will trigger the alarm. According to the New Scientist the mice work four-hour shifts and are more accurate than using dogs or x-ray machines.
[10]
