Decorative white mouse. Where do mice live in the wild? What are the external features of the mouse

For many centuries, these little creatures live next to man. And, attitudes towards such rodents, and it will be about them, are very ambiguous. On the one hand, rodents harm and spoil food, and on the other hand, imagine at least one medical and research laboratory in which laboratory rats and mice would not live. And since these creatures can live in laboratories, why can't they live in our homes as pets? We already wrote about the features of keeping decorative rats on our website - read about it. Now, the turn to talk about decorative mice.

What are the features of keeping such house mice, how to feed such rodents, how to care for them? Our publication will try to answer all these questions ...

Relatives of ordinary house mice today are decorative mice. That's just, if the former are destroyed, then the latter are cherished and pampered. Still, after all, such a domestic mouse is an excellent candidate for the role of a pet if you are limited in living space and in your free time. But who should not get decorative mice is those who are pathologically afraid of these creatures, or cannot tolerate a specific mouse smell (no matter how you clean and wash the cage, the smell will still be in the air), as well as those who suffer rodent allergy.

Features of keeping decorative mice at home

In principle, if you are familiar with the peculiarities of keeping decorative rats, and such rodents lived in your home, you should not have any difficulties associated with keeping decorative mice. These cute animals, with beady eyes, quickly adapt to new conditions for themselves, are unpretentious in matters of maintenance, have different colors and are very funny. Mostly they have a wakeful period at night - this means that your biorhythms coincide, and with good care, these creatures can live for 2 years. They are very prolific - this applies to those who are going to have a couple of mice - immediately think about where you will put the mice, and they reach puberty early. Rodents quickly get used to the owner, become tame and can even learn a couple of simple tricks...

Where to buy a decorative mouse

As for the number of decorative mice purchased, if you get a female - you can pick up another female for her company - the rodents will be pleased to be in the company, and they will be friends. But, if you add another male to a male, then you can’t do without bloodshed.
And, here the cohabitation of the female and the male will inevitably end in numerous offspring.

It is better to transport mice home in a special box or in a box that would have holes for ventilation.

Colors of decorative mice

If you think that decorative mice are all gray or brown without exception, then you are mistaken. Breeders have bred quite interesting varieties of mice, which may differ from each other in the type of their coat (mice can be curly, satin, long-haired or short-haired) and in their color. At the same time, the colors can be monophonic - when the rodent is painted in one color, black, white, red, steel, blue ... There may be such colors as tan - red, with tan marks on the main background, and fox - with white tan marks. When determining the type of color, it is worth taking into account the location of color zones and spots. Depending on this, the type of color can be set - ribbon, broken marked, Dutch. The colors of decorative mice can also be variegated, when a colored speck will be located on the main white background.

Also, there are such categories of colors of decorative mice as agouti, chinchilla, sable, Siamese ... You can also find absolutely hairless bald mice (they look like). Either way, you have plenty to choose from...

Caring for decorative mice

As a rule, a metal cage can be used to keep decorative mice, the volume of which should be at least 20 by 30 centimeters for each mouse living in this cage. The cage itself should be spacious - mice are active creatures, and absolutely safe for keeping a rodent. That is, you must remember that it should not have any slots, wooden doors, etc.

At the bottom of the cage it is worth laying shavings or strips of unpainted paper. In addition, it will be necessary to install a house, a pot, a feeder, a drinker, as well as various accessories for games in the cage. Also, you can additionally equip the cage with ladders, branches, shelters and a running wheel so that the decorative mouse can have fun when you are busy.

A mouse is a small animal that belongs to the class of mammals, the order of rodents, the mouse family (Muridae).

Mouse - description, characteristics and photo. What does a mouse look like?

The length of the body of a mouse covered with short hair, depending on the species, ranges from 5 to 19 cm, and doubles with the tail. These rodents have a rather short neck. On the pointed muzzle, small black beady eyes and small semicircular ears are visible, allowing mice to hear well. Thin and sensitive whiskers growing around the nose, give them the ability to perfectly navigate the environment. Mice, unlike hamsters, lack cheek pouches.

The paws of the mouse are short with five tenacious fingers. The surface of the tail is covered with keratinized scales with sparse hairs. The color of the mouse is usually characterized by gray, brown or red tones, however, there are variegated and striped individuals, as well as white mice. Animals lead an active lifestyle in the evening or at night. They communicate with each other using a thin squeak.

Types of mice, names and photos

The mouse family includes 4 subfamilies, 147 genera and 701 species, the most common of which are:

• (Apodemus agrarius)

reaches 12.5 cm in size, not counting the tail, which can be up to 9 cm long. The color of the back of the mouse is gray, with a slight yellowish-brown tint and a dark stripe running along the ridge, and the belly is light gray. The habitat of the field mouse includes Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland, Bulgaria, the southern part of Western Siberia and Primorye, Mongolia, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and certain territories of China. This species of mice lives in wide meadows, in dense thickets of shrubs, city gardens and parks, and the shelter suits both in minks and in any natural shelters. In flooded areas, nests in bushes. Depending on the season, the diet may consist of seeds, berries, green parts of plants and various insects. The field mouse is the main pest of grain crops.

• (Apodemus flavicollis)

has a reddish-gray color and a light abdomen (sometimes with a small speck of yellow). The body size of adults reaches 10-13 cm, the tail has approximately the same length. The weight of the mouse is about 50 grams. This species of mice is widely distributed in the forests of Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Caucasus, the northern provinces of China and Altai. Yellow-throated mice settle on open edges in tree hollows or dug minks, but they can also live in stony placers. Their diet includes both plant and animal foods. Eating young seedlings of fruit trees, they cause significant harm to nurseries.

• Grass mouse (Nilotic grass mouse) (Arvicanthis niloticus)

is one of the largest representatives of the mouse family and can reach 19 cm in length, and together with the tail - 35 cm. The weight of individual large individuals exceeds 100 g. The fur of the back and sides has a dark gray or grayish-brown color with separate hard and prickly bristles of a darker shade. The color of the belly is light grey. This species of mice is most common in African countries, where they live in bushes, forests and savannahs. As a refuge, grass mice choose abandoned termite mounds or dig holes on their own, but on occasion they can penetrate into human habitation. The basis of the diet of mice is plant foods.

• (Micromys minutus)

is one of the smallest rodents in the world. The body length of an adult animal does not exceed 7 cm, the tail is 6.5 cm, and the weight of the baby does not exceed 10 g. The back and sides are monophonic and have a reddish-brown or brown color, in contrast to the light gray, almost white belly. The muzzle of baby mice is short and blunt, with small ears. The distribution range of this species of mice stretches from west to east from the northwestern provinces of Spain to Korea and Japan, in the south to Kazakhstan, China and the northern regions of Mongolia. The mouse lives in forest and forest-steppe zones, in meadows with tall grass. In the summer, mice use nests twisted in the grass as a refuge, and winter in minks, haystacks, residential or outbuildings of a person. The basis of the diet of baby mice is the seeds of cereals and legumes, as well as small insects. Often they settle near granaries, causing great harm to agriculture.

• (Mus muscle)

the most common species on the planet from the rodent family. The body length of an adult mouse does not exceed 9.5 cm, and together with the tail - 15 cm. The weight of the mouse is 12-30 g. The color of the fur on the sides and back is gray with a brown tint, and on the abdomen from light gray to white. Individuals living in desert areas have a sandy color. The muzzle of the mouse is sharp with small rounded ears. The area of ​​distribution of this species of mice does not include only the territory of the Far North, Antarctica and high mountain regions. House mice live in all types of landscapes and natural areas, very often they penetrate into household and residential buildings of a person. Under natural conditions, minks dig on their own, although they can also occupy dwellings abandoned by other rodents. They feed on seeds and succulent green parts of plants, and when they enter a person’s house, they consume everything that gets into their teeth - from bread and sausages to paraffin candles.

• (Lemniscomys striatus)

a small-sized rodent: body length 10-15 cm, intermittent stripes of light colors are visible along the back and along the sides. Under natural conditions, striped mice rarely live more than 6-7 months, in captivity they live two to three times longer. The menu of these individuals includes mainly vegetable “dishes”: root crops, non-hard seeds, juicy fruits, and occasionally small insects.

• (akomis) (Acomys)

a rather nice representative of the mouse family, the owner of huge eyes and the same big ears. The size of the spiny mouse, together with the tail, is 13-26 cm, the back of the animal is covered with thin needles, like an ordinary hedgehog. An amazing feature of these animals is regeneration: in case of danger, the mouse is able to shed a piece of skin, leaving the attacker at a loss. The skin is quickly restored without harm to the individual. The spiny mouse lives in Asia, is found in Cyprus and Africa. In food, it focuses on plant foods; this animal is often kept as a pet.

Where does the mouse live?

The distribution area of ​​mice covers almost all climatic zones, zones and continents of the globe. Mouse representatives can be found in tropical thickets, coniferous or deciduous forests, steppe expanses and deserts, on mountain slopes or in swampy areas. Mice also live in people's homes.

Mice can make nests from grass stems, occupy abandoned burrows, or dig complex systems of underground passages. Unlike species that live in swamps, mountain, steppe, and forest mice are poor swimmers.

The basis of the diet of mice is plant foods: grass seeds, fruits of trees or shrubs and cereals (wheat, oats, barley, millet, buckwheat). Mice that live in swampy areas, in wet and flooded meadows, feed on leaves, buds or flowers of plants and shrubs. Some species of mice prefer a protein supplement as insects, worms, beetles, spiders. Once in the house, these animals are happy to gnaw potatoes, sausage, baked goods, eggs or cheese.

The mouse does not fall into hibernation and can move under the snow crust without appearing on the surface.

To survive the cold, she has to create solid food stocks in pantries arranged near the entrance to the mink.

What to feed mice at home?

Although house mice eat many foods, not every one of them is recommended for your pets, because there are foods that are not only harmful, but also dangerous for rodents. That is why it is important to properly feed mice at home so that they are healthy, mobile and energetic.

The best option for feeding domestic rodents is ready-made balanced food, which can be bought at any pet store. It is important to note that it is worth choosing “Mouse Food”, as it does not contain components harmful to pets.
Experts recommend giving preference to imported feed, as they:

• do not contain dyes;
• consist of natural and healthy ingredients, not husks and coarse herbs;
• contain a small percentage of nuts and seeds, overeating which threatens the animal with obesity.

Such nutrition will allow the house mouse to feel good, while receiving a full range of vitamins and nutrients.

In nature, mice feed on seeds and some types of animal food, so you need to provide a natural diet for pets.
Domestic mice are given:

Mice breeding

Types of mice living in natural conditions breed with the onset of the warm season, and those living in houses or apartments - all year round. There are no mating rituals in rodents, but if two male mice claim one female, a fight often occurs between them. Pregnancy of the female lasts about 24 days, and up to 10 mice can appear in one litter. In a year, one female mouse displays up to 4 offspring. Puberty of individuals occurs after 2-3 months. Life span of mice under natural conditions does not exceed 9 months, and in captivity this figure can reach 8 years.

House mice are used as experimental animals in testing new drugs, cosmetics and genetic experiments.

Unfortunately, these rodents are not only a great threat to crops and tree seedlings, but also carriers of dangerous infectious diseases.

Breeding mice at home

Decorative types of mice often become pets. They quickly get used to their owner and easily find him by smell. For their maintenance, you need a spacious glass terrarium equipped with a drinking bowl, a feeder and a house. Caring for mice is not difficult, you just need to change the litter in a timely manner, give food and not touch the newborn mice with your hands.

• Translated from the Indo-European language, the word "mouse" means a thief.
• Contrary to popular belief, the strong smell of cheese repels rodents.
• A monument to the laboratory mouse was erected in the Novosibirsk Academgorodok.
• Spiny mice, in case of danger, can shed a small patch of skin to confuse the pursuer.
• Information that elephants are afraid of mice is just a myth.

House mice are rodents that live in people's homes. In the photo, the house mouse looks like ordinary mice. Is there a difference between them?

Because house mice have adapted so well to living with humans, they have been able to spread throughout the world, thus becoming one of the most common mammals. Mice are also pets and model organisms for laboratory research.

The appearance of the house mouse

The house mouse is a long-tailed small rodent with a body length of 6.5 to 9.5 cm. In relation to the body length, the tail is less than 60%.

From above, the tail is covered with ring-shaped horny scales and short sparse hairs. The weight of an adult is from 12 to 30 grams. The ears are small and rounded. The skin has a brownish-gray or dark color. The color of the abdomen is from white to ash-gray. Desert mice have a light yellowish-sand color and a white belly.

Domesticated mice are variegated, gray-blue, yellow, black or white. Females have five pairs of nipples. The house mouse has no sexual dimorphism.

Distribution of the house mouse and its subspecies

The house mouse is a cosmopolitan species and lives almost everywhere. It is absent only high in the mountains, Antarctica and the Far North. The main factors that limit the distribution of house mice are high humidity and low temperatures. On the territory of Russia, the house mouse is not found in the mountain tundra, in the interfluve of the Lena and Yenisei, in Taimyr, in most of northeastern Siberia.

Presumably, the birthplace of the house mouse is North Africa, Western Asia or North India. In Western Asia, the house mouse is known in fossil form. Throughout the world, the house mouse has spread along with humans.

Currently, about one hundred and thirty subspecies of the house mouse have been described. They are grouped into four main subspecies.
1. M.m. castaneus - lives in Southeast Asia;
2. M.m. bactrianus - lives in Asia with the exception of the South-East region;
3. M.m. domestic - common in Australia, America, Europe and most of Africa;
4. M.m. musculus - lives in Eastern Europe, starting from the territory of Poland and further eastward, occupying most of Russia.

For a long time it was believed that the Japanese subspecies M.m. molossinus is the fifth "major" subspecies, however according to recent studies it is a hybrid between M.m. castaneus and M.m musculus.
Interestingly, in ancient Rome, mice and rats were considered the same species, so rats were simply called the big mouse.

House mouse lifestyle

House mice live in a variety of biotopes and landscapes, including anthropogenic ones. In general, it can be argued that house mice are very closely related to humans and are a synanthropic species. The house mouse often settles in outbuildings and residential buildings. In the north of their range, mice make seasonal migrations. At the end of the summer period or at the beginning of autumn, animals begin to massively migrate to the so-called "feeding places", which include warehouses, grain and vegetable stores, as well as residential buildings. In autumn, the range of migrations can reach up to five kilometers. Often, house mice hibernate in stacks, haystacks and forest belts.

In spring, house mice leave their wintering grounds and return to their natural habitat, to gardens, kitchen gardens and fields. In the south of the range, in semi-deserts and deserts, they often live outside human habitation throughout the year. Under such conditions, house mice gravitate towards various water bodies and oases.

In their natural habitat, the house mouse prefers soft, not too dry soils. In them they dig small holes with a simple device. The length of the hole reaches one meter, and the nesting chamber is located at a depth of 20-30 centimeters and has from one to three entrances. In winter, mice often deepen their burrows up to 50-60 centimeters. The diameter of the nesting chamber is from ten to twenty-five centimeters. Inside the chamber, the animals arrange bedding using soft plant rags. Often, house mice occupy burrows belonging to other rodents: gerbils, mole rats, voles. Cracks in the ground and natural voids are also used for housing.

House mice settled next to people equip their homes in the most protected and secluded places. Most often they live in attics, in household waste, garbage heaps and under the floor. To arrange nests, house mice use any available material: artificial fibers, feathers, scraps of fabric, paper.

Under natural conditions, house mice are nocturnal and twilight. But living next to a person, they adjust the daily regimen depending on the nature of human activity. Under artificial lighting, a house mouse can maintain round-the-clock activity, reducing it only during those periods when people are active themselves. The activity of the house mouse in this case has a polyphasic character: within one day there can be fifteen to twenty periods of wakefulness lasting from twenty-five minutes to one and a half hours. Like many other members of the mouse family, house mice gravitate towards constant routes when moving.

Such routes are easy to follow due to the conspicuous piles of dust and droppings that are held together by urine.

The house mouse is a very nimble, mobile animal. They run fast enough, reaching speeds of up to 13 km / h, jump well, climb and are good swimmers. However, they rarely leave their nest. Under natural conditions, each mouse has its own individual site. In males, it reaches 1200 sq.m, and in females - up to 900 sq.m. However, if the population is dense enough, mice prefer to settle in family groups that consist of one dominant male, as well as several females with their offspring, or small colonies.

Relations within the colony are hierarchical. In relation to each other, adult males are quite aggressive. In contrast, females show aggression much less frequently. Skirmishes are rare within the family group, and as a rule they come down to expelling the grown offspring.

House mouse food

Under natural habitat conditions, the house mouse is a typical seed-eater. It feeds on the seeds of cultivated and wild plants. Preference is given to seeds of Compositae, legumes and cereals.

The diet of the house mouse also includes carrion, insects and their larvae. The green parts of plants are also eaten, which, depending on how accessible drinking water is, can account for up to a third of the food consumed. Every day, a house mouse consumes up to three milliliters of water. If the relative humidity of the air was about thirty percent, and the food was exceptionally dry, then during the experiment, laboratory mice died of dehydration on the 15-16th day.

With great hunting, mice eat dairy products, chocolate, meat or grain. Under natural conditions, under the condition of an excess of food, stocks are made.

Reproduction of the house mouse

The house mouse is extremely fertile. If conditions are favorable (for example, in stacks and heated rooms), then it can breed throughout the year. Under natural conditions, the breeding season lasts from March to November. Re-entry into estrus is observed in females already 12-18 hours after the birth of offspring. During the year, a house mouse can bring from five to fourteen offspring. Each litter has three to twelve cubs.

The duration of pregnancy is about twenty days (19-21). Cubs are born naked and blind. After about ten days, their bodies are completely covered with hair. After two weeks of life, their eyes open, and at the age of three weeks they become independent and capable of settling. The house mouse reaches puberty at the fifth to seventh week of life.

It should be noted that males, trying to attract a female, emit ultrasonic cries of 30-110 kHz. In their complexity, these cries are comparable to the singing of birds. The house mouse easily interbreeds with the mound mouse, which lives, for example, in the Black Sea region.

The offspring from such crosses is quite normal and viable. A number of zoologists consider the mound mouse to be a subspecies of the house mouse.

House mouse enemies

The house mouse has many enemies, primarily predators. These are birds of prey, snakes, large lizards, mongooses, small representatives of the weasel family, foxes, cats, crows, and even.

Serious competition for house mice is that they often kill and even partially eat their small relatives.

At the same time, mice can themselves act as predators, which is generally unusual for them.

Once upon a time, mice were accidentally brought to the island of Gof, located in the South Atlantic, and they took root there. Since they had no natural enemies on the island, they multiplied very quickly and now their population is estimated at 0.7 million individuals. It should also be noted that these island mice are three times larger than their mainland counterparts. They unite in groups and attack bird nests with them, eating chicks.

It must be said that Gough Island is the most important colony of sea birds, among which we can mention such birds as Schlegel's typhoon and. These birds do not nest anywhere else. However, despite the fact that albatross chicks can reach a height of one meter and weigh 250 times more than the mice of this island, they practically do not move and are unable to protect themselves.

As a result, the mice literally gnaw through the bodies of the chicks and inflict deep wounds on them. According to scientists, mice destroy over a million chicks on this island every year.

house mouse lifespan

Under natural conditions, the life expectancy of these rodents is a year and a half. However, in captivity, they can live up to three years. The life expectancy record is almost five years (1819 days).

Sense organs of the house mouse

The sense organs of these rodents are very well developed. True, the eyesight of a house mouse is quite weak.

Like most other rodents, they are farsighted. They also have very acute hearing. The range of frequencies perceived by them is very wide - up to 100 kHz. For comparison, the upper human threshold is 20 kHz. In low light, the house mouse is perfectly oriented with the help of vibrissae. The role of smell is extremely high in the life of mice, which is necessary both for searching for food and for recognizing relatives.

Each mouse has sweat glands on its paws, with which they automatically mark the territory. If the mouse is very frightened, then a substance is released into the urine that causes fear and flight in other animals. Moreover, the smell is quite stable, and lasts up to a quarter of a day, informing other mice about the insecurity of this place.

Moreover, if the signal substance was left by the male, then all individuals react to it, while only females react to the female's mark, while males ignore it.

House mouse and man

House mice are pests and carriers of a number of dangerous infections, such as plague, etc. At the same time, mice play a very important role as laboratory animals. On July 1, 2013, a monument to a laboratory mouse was even erected in Novosibirsk for its contribution to experimental medicine and genetics.

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Almost everyone has adopted a pet at least once in their life. Some prefer mundane types of pets such as cats and dogs. Some people like exotic species of reptiles. Well, some owners give birth to a white mouse as pets.

It is worth noting that the white mouse has been considered a pet. The origin of these cute little animals is debatable. Some sources indicate that the decorative mouse existed even before our era. But a more familiar description of the origin of these mice points to the breeding of ornamental species of rodents in laboratories for experimentation.

Previously, in many countries there was a belief that if there is a white mouse in the house, then it will protect the house from other rodents that can leave the owners without food supplies in a short time. Our ancestors also associated these cute animals with joy. To this day, many people favorably treat this decorative animal.

Character and size

According to your size white mouse similar to its counterparts. Their weight is about 30 grams. The length of the body and tail is no more than 11 centimeters.

Absolutely all mice of this species are active. Despite excessive activity, they are absolutely harmless both for their owners and for other decorative rodents in the house. To have several individuals of this species, the owner does not have to acquire several cells. Mice will live in harmony and harmony even in the same territory, provided that they were inhabited in a cage of the same age. When a newcomer is settled, the mice will show him with all their appearance that this is their territory and he is clearly a stranger here. Often such settlements end badly for a new little mouse. But this case may be the only act of aggression on the part of decorative rodents.

In addition to its activity and kindness, the white mouse differs from its relatives in strong parental love. In addition to the female, the male also takes care of the newborn mouse. Such a phenomenon is rarely seen among animals.

How to breed decorative mice

Pregnancy in a female lasts no more than 21 days. In one litter there can be up to 7 mice, weighing about 1.5 grams. Like many newborn animals, children of a decorative rodent are born not only blind and deaf, but also completely bald. After a few days of age, small mice develop a small fluff on their backs. After a week after giving birth, their bodies are completely covered with hair.

The female feeds the offspring for 4 weeks. But, despite this, already two hours after the female gave birth, she is ready for another fertilization.

Upon reaching the age of one month, decorative mice can take care of themselves without the intervention of their parents. Three months after birth, rodents are able to have offspring themselves.

The average life expectancy of rodents is 2-3 years. There were cases when a white mouse went over the threshold at 5 years.

A decorative rodent from the family of white mice is very easy to train. As soon as the mouse gets used to the owner, it will not hesitate to come to the hands of its owner. When releasing the mouse to walk out of the cage, it is better to keep an eye on it in both eyes. Because if she hides somewhere, then finding her will not be an easy task.

Home for a decorative mouse

Although these pets are not particularly picky in terms of their maintenance , it is worth knowing some mandatory things regarding housing:

Some owners believe that a decorative pet can be placed in an aquarium. This idea is not the best, since the glass walls tend to fog up quickly. And cleaning such housing will take much more time than cages. Even if the owner decided to put his pet in such housing, then he should purchase a metal mesh with small holes. This will allow the pet to breathe deeply and protect the owner from escaping his little friend.

What must be present in a cell?

• Small pieces of chalk. If there is a shortage with chalk, then parts from the branches can be placed in the cage. A rusty slice of bread works well too. These things are necessary for the rodent to sharpen its teeth and to prevent further growth of the incisors and add to the diet the necessary minerals for the healthy growth of the mouse.
• Litter. The most common material for rodent bedding is paper and sawdust. A good alternative to these materials is hay.
• Wheel. This is perhaps one of the important attributes for the health of a rodent. Due to their activity, the mice will not be able to sit still without work. And it is the running wheel that will remove all the accumulated energy with it.

White mouse food

To keep your pet healthy, the owner should remember that the diet must be balanced. The daily intake is 50 grams of feed. As food you can use:

Summing up, we can say that these peaceful and active animals do not need excessive care, living as a pet. Periodic litter changes, home improvement, and a balanced diet are all that are needed for the healthy growth of a decorative mouse. If you do not neglect these rules, then a happy animal, without a doubt, will thank its owner with love and curiosity, and will become a best friend who will not be just a pet, but also part of the family.

The house mouse is a special type of rodent that is known for its close coexistence with humans. A small gray animal can be found in the garden, summer cottage, in the garden, outbuildings, sheds, chicken coops, even in your own house, apartment. An annoying creature eats food supplies, spoils interior items, gnaws on wiring, and does many other dirty tricks to a person.

Distinctive appearance

House mice belong to one of the most numerous groups of mammals on earth - rodents. About 80 are known in the world. The most common are house mice. Outwardly, the animal is familiar to adults, small children. A photo of house mice is located below.

• The body length of an adult is from 6 to 10 cm. In some cases, it can reach 15 cm. How much a house mouse weighs depends on the conditions of existence, nutritional value. The weight of a wild mouse ranges from 12 to 30 g. Sexual dimorphism is weakly noted. It is difficult to distinguish the male from the female by size.
• The tail is thin, with horny scales. The length of the tail is equal to 60% of the length of the body.
• Rounded small ears are widely spaced relative to each other.
• Round eyes, oblong muzzle.
• House mice are characterized by different colors. The upper body is dark. It comes in gray, brown, black. The belly is always a tone lighter. There are ash-gray, white, red villi.

Interesting!

House mice live quietly in cages. Breeders brought decorative animals of yellow, blue, black, red, white. Below is a decorative house mouse in the photo.

Varieties

Brownies. This is facilitated by high adaptability. Animals relatively well tolerate cold, heat, adapt to any conditions of existence. Provides survivability close proximity to a person - a minimum of enemies, a large amount of food. A typical representative of mice can be found on the street, indoors. Lives in garages.

House mice are the most common laboratory specimens. Over the years, breeders have deliberately or unintentionally bred many different subspecies of house mice. But a few have been officially identified.

House mouse classification:

1. musculus - has become widespread in Poland, Northern, Eastern Europe, part of Russia;
2. bactrianus - an interesting species of domestic mice found in Asia;
3. domesticus - thermophilic species found in Southern Europe, America, Africa, Australia;
4. castaneus is another representative of Asia, only its southeastern part.

For a long time there was another species of domestic mice - M.m.molossinus. Rodents have become widespread in Japan. However, scientists later stated that this variety cannot be classified as a separate type, since they obtained animals by crossing M.m.musculus, M.m.castaneus.

Living environment in the wild

The house mouse loves heat, does not tolerate high humidity. Animals do not live in the Far North, the expanses of Antarctica, high in the mountains. The rest of the area was explored up and down.

The house mouse likes to settle near people's houses during the warm season. With the onset of cold weather, it completely moves to the human abode, barns, warehouses, granaries, outbuildings. Seasonal migration is 3-5 km.

Mass migration is observed under adverse climatic conditions. Contributes to the process of migration fire, flood, drought, premature frosts. Some of the house mice remain to winter in the fields in haystacks, forest belts, stacks. With the onset of spring, leaves houses, apartments, moves to natural places of residence.

On a note!

In a desert area, where the air temperature is always comfortable for house mice, there is no mass migration to human homes. Rodents live year-round in oases, keep places with the presence of water bodies. In rocky areas they live in walnut orchards, causing considerable damage to the owners.

secluded housing

The house mouse in most cases settles on soft, not prone to drying out soil. To make it convenient to make moves, the walls of the tunnels did not collapse. They build a hole 100 cm long. There is always an entrance, 2 emergency exits. The nest chamber is built at a distance of 30 cm from the ground. In winter, they go deeper - up to 65 cm deep. The diameter of the nest is about 25 cm. House mice prepare a soft bedding from twigs, leaves, moss, and all convenient materials.

Often, house mice populate ready-made burrows of voles, moles, hamsters, and other rodents. Or they build a nest under stones, in natural earth depressions, under a mound of leaves.

In human habitation, house mice place their nests in well-protected, secluded places. Prefer to settle:

• under the floor;
• between walls;
• in the attic;
• under trash cans
• in places of accumulation of food waste;
• in a vegetable store.

For the construction of the nest, various available, suitable materials are used: straw, pieces of fabric, twigs, hair, feathers, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam.

Interesting!

In the wild living environment, house mice intensify their activity in the dark. During the day they hide in burrows for several reasons - they do not like bright light, they are afraid of predators. In human housing, they adapt to the lifestyle of people. They crawl out of the shelter in complete silence.

If there is constantly artificial lighting in the house, house mice are active around the clock with regular breaks. There are about 20 periods of wakefulness per day, with an average duration of 30 minutes. House mice move along the studied routes. Leave behind feces, urine, food crumbs.

House mice run great, quickly respond to the rustle, movement. Animals are capable of speeds up to 13 km / h. They climb trees, flat surfaces, jump, behave freely in the water.

Each has its own territory. The mouse does not go far from the nest, it hunts in the allotted area. The male is entitled to 1200 m², the females - 900 m². During the period of strong breeding, house mice settle in families, colonies. There is a leader - a male, several dominant females.

Interesting!

The head of the family behaves aggressively towards young males; skirmishes for superiority between females are rare. Together they raise offspring, take care of good nutrition. Weak individuals try not to show themselves to the eyes of the leader, they begin to be active when the "leader" falls asleep. The grown mice are soon expelled from the family. They create their own hierarchy.

Nutrition Features

Based on the marks left on plastic, rubber, wood and other inedible materials, it seems that house mice are omnivorous creatures. In nature, the rodent is content with seeds. cereals, cereals, legumes. Eats seeds of cultivated plants, wild.

A certain part of the diet is occupied by insects, worms, caterpillars, larvae, carrion. With a lack of water, house mice eat the succulent parts of the plant. A rodent needs about 3 ml of liquid per day. If this rule is not observed, the animal dies from dehydration in 15 days. With an excess of food, rodents make food reserves for a rainy day. Occasionally they ruin the nests of birds, feast on eggs, small chicks.

In the human house, the diet of mice is expanding significantly. Pests eat all food stocks, any products. As well as soap, candles, indoor flowers, glue.

Has its own characteristics. Rodent teeth have unusual properties. Each jaw has incisors that grow daily throughout life. The animals are forced to constantly grind them down, otherwise they will not be able to close their mouths. For this purpose, they gnaw on hard inedible materials - wood, plastic, polystyrene, brick, rubber, and the like.

Reproduction features

House mice are characterized by extraordinary fecundity. Under favorable conditions in the house they breed all year round. In the natural environment, the period lasts the entire period of warm days. Starts in March, ends in November. For a year, the female gives life to 10-14 fruits, in a litter from 3 to 11 mice. After 18 hours, it is again ready for fertilization. Pregnancy lasts an average of 21 days.

Mice are born blind, naked, completely helpless. After 2 weeks, they are covered with fur, open their eyes, at the same time incisor teeth appear. On the 21st day of their existence, they are completely ready for independent life, they are expelled from the nest. Fertilization of a young female occurs at the 5th week of life.

Interesting!

Males attract the attention of females with ultrasound. They do not stand on ceremony in marriage games, they immediately get down to business. House mice interbreed with other subspecies without any problems.

Lifespan

Mice have many natural enemies - from a harmless hedgehog to a fox, wolf, dog, cat. does not exceed 18 months. In captivity with proper care, an abundance of food, house mice live up to 3 years. In laboratory conditions during the experiment, the individual lived for 5 years.

The number of rodents is subject to seasonal fluctuations. It is also observed that the population of mice increases every 5 years. At the end of winter, the number of animals is at a minimum, with the onset of spring, rodents begin to mate. At the time of plant growth, the number of rodents increases. By the end of the summer there is a decline. The maximum number of pests is observed in autumn. At home, there are no significant fluctuations in the number of mice, the population can increase by 3 times.

Harm

House mice, with their huge numbers, spoil grain fields. They do not gnaw grain so much as they dig tunnels, form embankments. The stalk falls to the ground, the grain is damaged, there are difficulties during the harvest.

The main harm from a house pest is damage to food supplies, animal feed. Pests pollute them with feces, urine, leave a lot of bacteria, pathogens.

Undoubted harm is brought to furniture, decor items, books, clothes. They gnaw on wood, plastic, rubber, electrical wiring. For these reasons, primitive man tamed a cat that successfully destroys rodents.

House mice are carriers of dangerous diseases:

• intestinal infections;
• plague;
• pseudotuberculosis;
• fever;
• rabies;
• tularemia;
• leptospirosis.

Benefit

For many years, domestic mice have been bred as domestic laboratory specimens. One of the reasons for the mass breeding of rodents in captivity is various experiments. The house mice genome was deciphered in 2002. Scientists have found that the gene coincides with the human by 80%. Animals are testing the effects of new drugs.

Breeders are constantly experimenting, bringing out pets with the original color - red, yellow, blue, white, spotted. A cute little creature pleases the eyes of the owners, it does not at all look like a harmful, dangerous gray creature.

Interesting!

In the course of numerous experiments, a "dancing mouse" was obtained. Pathology in the work of the brain, a violation of the motor apparatus led to the fact that the animals circled non-stop, being in one place, moving in zigzags. Singing mice were bred in China about 350 years ago. Rodents make cricket-like sounds.

The animals are bred specifically in nurseries for feeding to other animals - snakes, lizards, hedgehogs, cats, and other predators.

The house mouse is one of the most unique, interesting, unusual creatures. Purposefully destroying the animals is not worth it, unless they were near the house, settled in the apartment.