Decorative mice for home maintenance. Decorative mice

Scientists were able to identify a lot of different rodents, they live in different parts of the planet. They are not only on the coldest continents, but on the rest they live.

Among them, people's favorites in the person of hamsters stand out, since they are often found at home, although they live freely in nature, as well as rats, which are also often pets or live in people's homes without their permission, voles and ordinary mice.

The latter are especially disliked by humans as they often destroy winter stocks and are considered dangerous disease vectors.

Usually people have difficulty distinguishing between rodents and can not always tell exactly who is in front of them. But with mice, this is not surprising, since there are approximately 400 different species among them.

Outwardly, they are all very similar, and behave almost identically. The animal mouse is famous for its incredible cunning and is difficult to catch. People have been fighting for centuries, first of all, with this representative of rodents.

What are the external features of the mouse?

Nowadays, a lot of photos of mice have been taken, and it is easy to find them on the net. Due to this, it is possible to determine exactly what species the mouse that appeared on the territory of a person belongs to.

Usually her body does not exceed 10 cm, moreover, about half the size is the tail. This little process is always naked, it is difficult to detect the presence of hairs on it. At the same time, the body is completely covered with wool of a uniform color.

Mice are brown, sometimes brown, and gray individuals are often found. Scientists have found mice that have stripes running along their backs.

However, there are two unique species that have needles that replace wool. We are talking about Elliot's mouse and the so-called needle-shaped form. The wool of these strange creatures is replaced by needles that look like thorns, like those of a cactus.

What are the features of a needle mouse?

The types of mice are very diverse, however, this mouse stands out among them, because, in addition to the unique coating, it has almost no neck, and its paws, although they are short in size, have fingers that help to stay on various surfaces.

How are mice different from other rodents?

If we conduct a detailed description of mice, it is important to note that they have excellent hearing, allowing them to pick up sounds of various tonalities. To do this, they use rounded ears.

On a small pointed muzzle, you can see the presence of antennae, called vibrissae. Due to this important organ, mice are able to navigate perfectly, even in the dark. However, they do not have pouches behind their cheeks.

Most species of mice do not like to climb trees, however, they easily move on the basis of grass stalks that grow in meadows. And also for this they use reeds or small branches of shrubs.

Among them, the smallest individual was identified, it was called the baby, since it has a body size of only 5 cm.

Where do different types of mice live?

Due to the characteristics of the body, this animal was able to take root in any place. In most cases, they use the surface of the earth for life, however, some species have good skills in moving along vertical surfaces.

Where do mice live and how can a person meet them? Usually, people most often meet with two types of these rodents, since only the Cairo or house mouse lives near human buildings.

Some mice like to live near various bodies of water, and they swim tolerably well. They do not like to start pairs and usually live alone.

However, a subspecies of the house mouse, called the Kurgan mouse, likes to start a family of up to 20 individuals living in a common hole. They are engaged in the creation of common stocks for wintering and make nests necessary for life.

Most mice like to live in a permanent place. They leave the inhabited area only if necessary due to some changes in the environment. However, they usually do not move far, because they do not have the desire to look for a new place to live for a long time.

What do mice like to eat?

In cold weather, it is difficult to detect at least one mouse, since they are under a layer of snow that creates protection for them from frost. Usually their reserves are not enough for wintering and the mice have to look for food even under the snow.

Trying to answer the question of what mice eat, it is necessary to immediately highlight their favorite food in the face of seeds and various fruits of plants.

Because of this, various species of meadow and steppe mice are considered serious pests for grain stocks of various cereal plants grown by people.

However, mice that prefer to live near various water sources mostly feed on succulent greens, various root crops, and even insects. And forest mice use nuts for food, and seeds found from deciduous tree species.

Although for the most part they can eat everything, and even products from a set of ordinary human food. They often settle in barns, various storerooms and use grains, seen cheeses or other foods as food. Sometimes they bite even sausages and dried fish a little.

Mouse photo

Mice are the largest family in the class of mammals. These rodents are distributed throughout the world, except for Antarctica and high mountainous regions.

In nature, there are various types of mice. The smallest mice are about 5 cm in size, and the largest members of the family reach 35 cm. Most mice are gray in color, hence the expression "mouse color".

What are mice? Why are rodents dangerous to humans? What mice can be kept as pets? The article provides a description and photographs of representatives of the mouse family, information about their features and lifestyle.

Features of representatives of the order of mice

The mouse family belongs to the order of rodents. Science knows 519 species of these animals. A typical representative of the mouse family is a small animal with small ears and short hair that has a gray, reddish, brown or black color. In nature, white albinos with red eyes are also found.

Mice are very fertile. The female bears cubs for 25 days and brings up to five litters per year. There are 8-12 little mice in each litter. For about three weeks, the mouse feeds the cubs with milk. After 20 days, their incisors form and they begin to feed on their own. The mice develop very quickly, within three months after birth they are ready to bear offspring. The average lifespan of a mouse is about 2 years.

Mice lack a collarbone, which allows these rodents to get into the narrowest gaps. In addition, the animal quickly adapts to any living conditions and can do without water for a long time. All this makes mice very tenacious.

The presence of a thin mustache helps the animals in orienting themselves on the ground. Rodents have two pairs of constantly growing sharp incisors. If their size reaches 2 cm, rodents may die, so they need to gnaw something, grinding their incisors.

The genes of mice are 80% identical to those of humans. Due to this property, mice, mostly white, are used in laboratory scientific and medical research.

Lifestyle and nutrition of rodents

Mice are mostly nocturnal. They have polyphasic activity: sleep alternates with periods of wakefulness from 25 to 90 minutes.

The animals are very mobile, they can move at speeds up to 13 km per hour. Usually they run on certain routes. You can determine the path of their movement by the left litter.

Rodents nest in groups consisting of a male and several females with cubs. Each family has its own plot. Males are very aggressive towards other males. The grown offspring are usually expelled from the family.

In nature, the animals make nests from grass, settle in holes or hollows of trees, making stocks of food for the winter. Getting into the room, they settle under the floor, between the walls, in the attics.

The animals feed on plant seeds and small invertebrates. They can also eat bird eggs and small chicks. Mice living in the house eat any food, gnaw candles, soap, plastic items, paper. These animals are capable of inflicting serious damage to humans.

The biggest harm that a wild mouse can cause to a person is the various dangerous diseases it carries:

• typhus;
• intestinal infections;
• Bubonic plague;
• lentospirosis;
• salmonellosis;
• sodokoz;
• rabies;
• tularemia.

Scientists do not exclude the possibility of transmission of breast cancer by mice. Diseases can be transmitted through rodent-contaminated food, water, bites, and indoor air heavily polluted with rodent waste.

Description of the types of wild mice with a photo

Representatives of different types of mice differ from each other in size, color and habitat. The following types of wild mice live in Russia:

forest mouse

The wood mouse lives on the edges of mixed and deciduous forests or in meadows among tall grass. The size of the rodent is about 10 cm, and the length of the tail reaches up to 7 cm. The mouse has round ears, its color can be from red to dark brown (see photo). The eared animal moves very quickly, can climb high into the trees.

The rodent settles in the hollows of trees, under the roots and fallen trees. The wood mouse hibernates in burrows, the depth of which is up to 2 meters. Minks have several chambers for food supplies, a nest compartment and 2-3 exits.

The animal feeds on fallen tree seeds, acorns, nuts, berries, grass sprouts. The diet is supplemented with small invertebrates.

The beast breeds 2-3 times a year, bringing 5-8 cubs. The number of animals depends on the yield of feed and climatic conditions.

house mouse

The house mouse lives in human housing or adjoining buildings: barns, warehouses, sheds. Can climb to the upper floors of apartment buildings. Usually it is a gray or black mouse, which reaches 6-10 cm in length. The length of its tail is up to 60% of the size of the body.

In the spring, the house mouse moves to nature, and with the onset of cold weather, it returns to the premises. In houses, animals bring a lot of inconvenience: they gnaw on furniture, wiring, walls, and spoil food.

field mouse

Field mice are called mice that live in meadows and fields. They are distributed in Europe, Siberia, the Far East and Mongolia.

Voles are dark or reddish in color with darker stripes and have a white belly and legs. Their size reaches 7-12 cm. The tail of the animals is relatively small. For food, they go out mainly at night, since during the day they risk becoming a victim of numerous predators, for example, an ordinary grass snake. They feed on plants and small insects. These mice are very prolific and tenacious.

Mouse gerbil

The gerbil was brought to Russia from America for laboratory research. Now there are more than 100 varieties of this animal. Dwarf and Mongolian gerbils live in Russia.

Sand mice are often kept as decorative pets. They have a red color with a black stripe and a white tummy. At the end of the tail, some animals have a fluffy tassel.

yellow-throated mouse

The yellow-throated mouse is found in Russia, Moldova, Belarus, China, and Ukraine. This mouse got its name because of the unusual coloring: the beast itself is colored red, and its neck is girded with a yellow stripe. The animal is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region.

The sizes of these mice are 10-13 cm. The long tail has the same length. Rodents feed on plant foods. They can harm gardens by destroying the shoots of fruit trees.

grass mice

Grass mice live in Africa. These rodents are the largest among relatives. Their size reaches 35 cm along with the length of the tail. Weight can be more than 100 g. The color of animals has grayish or brownish hues with dark patches. Animals nest in burrows or bushes. They can settle in rooms and houses. Grass mice live in large colonies. They feed on vegetation. Can completely destroy agricultural crops.

Decorative house mice

Thanks to the work of breeders, a variety of domestic decorative mice have been bred. They differ in the type of wool and color. The coat of a domestic decorative animal can be curly, long, satin. Even naked mice have been bred, which do not have hair at all.

Animals can be painted both in a mouse standard color, and in blue, silver, red and other shades. Mice with Siamese color, sable or chinchilla color are in demand. Depending on the features, coloring happens:

At home, small decorative mice are kept in cages with small cells or glass terrariums. They create a living corner in which they place feeders, drinkers, items for games. They are unpretentious for food. These can be cereals, grains, greens, vegetables, dairy products, or special foods purchased in specialized stores. To grind the incisors, the animals are given stale bread crusts and tree branches.

Most often, houses contain white mice. The white mouse is larger than the decorative mouse and smaller than its wild relative. An albino mouse has red eyes and a pink nose.

Which has spread throughout the planet, becoming one of the most common mammals. This happened due to their ability to coexist next to a person.

Habitat

The brownie mouse, the photo of which is presented in this article, is actually a wild animal. It got its name for living near a person. House mice in the world live everywhere, with the exception of permafrost, Antarctica and highlands. The Latin name of the animal is Mus musculus, while a 3rd word is added to it, demonstrating the habitat, for example, house mice that live in southeast Asia are Mus musculus castaneus. In our country, house mice also live almost everywhere: Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Astrakhan, etc. The only exceptions are the regions of the Far North.

Lifestyle

The house mouse lives in various biotopes and landscapes, including anthropogenic landscapes. It is very closely associated with people and often inhabits outbuildings and residential buildings. In the north, they carry out seasonal migrations. For example, at the end of summer, the animals begin to massively move to warm places: grain and vegetable stores, residential buildings, and warehouses. The range of such migrations can reach 5 km. Often they winter in stacks, in haystacks and forest belts. In the spring they leave their "winter apartments", returning to gardens, kitchen gardens, and fields. In the south of the range, they often live all year round without human habitation. In this place, house mice are tied to various reservoirs, oases.

In nature, they are nocturnal and twilight animals, but in human habitation they adjust their daily regimen to the life of people. Sometimes, under artificial lighting, they remain active around the clock, reducing it only during the period of active activity of people. At the same time, the activity of animals is polyphasic, there are up to 20 periods of wakefulness per day, which last up to 90 minutes. Like many other mice, they follow fixed routes when moving, creating conspicuous paths with small piles of dust and droppings held together by urine.

House mice are very nimble, mobile animals; they run, jump, climb and even swim well. But they do not often move away from their nest. Each mouse in nature has an individual area: males up to 1200 m2 and females up to 900 m2. But with large animals, they settle in small family groups or colonies, consisting of the main male, several females with their children. Hierarchical relations are always established among the members of this colony. Males are quite aggressive relative to each other, females show aggression much less often. Clashes are very rare within family groups, they mainly consist in the expulsion of offspring, which has already grown up.

Description

House mice are long-tailed, small rodents with an oval body, small head, beady eyes and rounded ears. The tail is covered with sparse hairs and ring-shaped scales. Animals that live in nature are of the zonal type of color, in this case the hair at the base of the tail is brownish-brown, the middle is fawn, while the tip is painted in a pale gray tint. The abdomen is colored much lighter - to white. At the same time, which were bred by selective breeding, they have a huge range of colors: black, white, blue-gray, yellow, as well as colors that combine several shades. White mice are albinos, since they practically do not synthesize melanin, which is responsible for the coloring of tissues. Breeders also bred tailless, long-haired, short-tailed, hairless, satin and curly mice.

Character

House mice are curious, lively, cunning, intelligent, but very shy animals. Unexpected noise or harsh sounds frighten them. They don't like being alone either. Without communication and attention, house mice yearn and begin to run wild. Females are excellent mothers, and males show paternal feelings for their offspring only if there are no other males in the cage.

Relationships with other pets

House mice are pets that can be dangerous to dogs, cats, rats and birds.

Attitude towards children

They can be started in those families in which children are 10 years old. They want to have a "own" animal, although there is no experience in caring for it. Many are interested in the question: "Do house mice bite or not?" It is worth noting that they are not aggressive, although they can bite until they have time to adapt to the owners and the environment, therefore, it is first necessary to help children get to know the animal, as well as tame it. Very young children with these miniature, at the same time nimble and dexterous creatures should not be left alone.

Education

House mice are domestic animals that are among the smartest animals among rodents, while decorative varieties quickly get used to their owners and are perfectly tamed if they are given enough attention, while talking affectionately and softly. They are able to remember their nickname. Mice quickly begin to recognize the aroma of the person who brings food, and they will meet him with a cheerful squeak. Animals can be trained to respond to various whistles and various commands, for example, “Come!”, “Serve!”, “Home!”

It is worth noting that scientists have been studying house mice for a long time. Kotenkova E.V. (Doctor of Biological Sciences), for example, devoted a lot of time to this issue, writing several scientific papers about their behavior, as well as their role in ancient mythology.

Food

In house mice, the main diet is cereals and seeds. They are happy to eat wheat, oats and millet, uncooked pumpkin and sunflower seeds. They can also be given dairy products, white bread, egg white pieces, and boiled meat. The green parts of various plants can make up a third of the animal's diet with a normal amount of water. At the same time, mice prefer cabbage and dandelion leaves, slices of cucumber, beets and carrots, green grass from succulent feed. Mice need up to three milliliters of water during the day. In summer, they can feed on insects, as well as their larvae. Mice have a very high metabolism, so they always have food in the feeder.

The mouse can be kept at home in a fine-mesh metal cage, as well as in a special organic glass container with a lid. It is necessary, as mice are great high jumpers. The terrarium or cage should be spacious enough, as the animals are very active and need movement. In the form of bedding, strips of uncolored paper or shavings are used. A house (a jar, a box, a pot, etc.) is installed in the cage, in which the mice will arrange a nest, a drinking bowl, a feeder, put a piece of chalk, as well as other devices for playing. For this, ladders, levels, shelters, branches are suitable, it is also desirable to put a wheel for running.

The terrarium or cage is placed as far as possible from windows, radiators, air conditioners and doors, as animals do not like temperature fluctuations, direct sunlight and drafts. The best air temperature is 20°C with an air humidity of 55%. Every day, garbage and leftover food are removed from the cage, feeders and drinking bowls are washed. The litter is changed three times a week, at least once a month it is necessary to carry out disinfection and complete cleaning of the terrarium or cage. Mice feces have an unpleasant pungent odor. At the same time, females smell much weaker than males.

In the terrarium, it is desirable to install pieces of large tree branches directly with bark (birch, willow, mountain ash) so that the animals can grind their incisors on them. It should be borne in mind that lilacs are poisonous for these animals. Wooden toys can also be placed in the cage, with which the animal will play, grinding off the incisors. With well-organized housing, house mice do not need walks. If the animal does go for a walk, then the place for its walks must be limited by the hands of the owner or the table. It must be remembered that various house plants are poisonous for mice, including aralia, yucca, feces, etc.

Such mice are evening and nocturnal animals, they can interfere with sleep by the noise and various sounds created, although they mainly adapt to the human regime.

The destruction of such mice is caused by the harm they bring to human stocks, as well as equipment and household appliances.

Wild house mice, which man has been fighting for centuries, are able to eat almost anything. As a result, food, candles and soap, wiring, etc. become eaten in the house.

Animals in warehouses gnaw grain, destroy crops of various root crops, eat stocks of cereals, in addition, significantly pollute the house with their waste products. They actively excrete their waste, therefore even a small population can cause great harm. So, the animals do not eat the bulk of the grain, but rather pollute it.

In addition, brownies, we will learn below) are carriers of a huge number of pathogens of various diseases. They can transmit E. coli, helminth eggs to a person, cause plague, and blood-sucking insects very often live on them, including fleas and ticks, which pass with pleasure to humans.

Therefore, house mice can cause significant harm. How to get rid of them, unfortunately, not everyone knows. The professional destruction of animals is becoming the main activity for suburban areas, private houses, catering organizations, as well as various types of institutions. This service can be ordered in specialized companies, or in the old fashioned way, use a mousetrap.

A bit of history

In nature, white mice are periodically born - albinos, which are almost impossible to survive, because they are very noticeable, and also instantly become prey. But in ancient times in Crete they were kept in the form of living amulets that bring good luck. They were also kept in temples, where they were specially cared for by ministers. 4,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, mice were bred and kept, paying close attention to the colored species. The Egyptians attributed supernatural abilities to them, in addition, depicted them on their clay vessels.

In the period of Ancient Rome and in the Middle Ages, healers used mice and rats for medicinal potions, while in Asia they are still specially bred for such purposes. With the development of veterinary medicine and experimental medicine, mice and rats began to be used for various studies as laboratory animals. It is believed that decorative and laboratory mice originate from white, spotted and black fighting mice, described in the book in 1787 edition. It tells about the animals that were used for fighting at that time. They were brought by English merchants from Japan. Subsequently, mice formed a special line of house mice, while decorative breeds began to be bred as pets.

Today, in various countries of Western Europe and America, there are Clubs of mouse lovers, the main goal of which is to breed new varieties of these animals. Most often, individuals of various colors are obtained: gray, white, red, brown, purple or pinkish, with spots. Special exhibitions with expert evaluation are held there.

But in our country, decorative mice are less known than in the countries of America and Europe, but among animal fans they are becoming more and more popular every year. In the clubs of lovers of various rodents, special sections of decorative mice have been created, nurseries have been opened that are engaged in selection and breeding work, and exhibitions are held where house decorative mice are exhibited along with other small animals.

The decorative house mouse (Fancy mouse) is a domesticated descendant of the House mouse (Mus musculus), one of the most common and numerous species of mammals from the order Rodentia (Rodentia) of the genus House mice.
In the wild, house mice are twilight and nocturnal animals that, settling in a person's house, easily rearrange their daily routine to new conditions. Wild mice equip a dwelling in the ground, tearing out complex labyrinths, on trees, in old hollows, bird nests, under stones. House mice are omnivores and are content with almost any available food.

The house mouse is a rodent capable of overcoming any obstacle, adapting to any conditions and getting food everywhere.

• coat type (short or long, smooth or curly),
• wool color,
• options for the location of contrasting spots in the color (markings),
• schemes for the distribution of colors in color (patterns).

The size and lifespan of the animal

Features of the cellular content of the animal

Decorative mice quickly get used to the new owner, become tame, sociable and recognize the owner by smell. Only females or females and a castrated male can be kept in a group.
It is believed that the best options for keeping Decorative mice as pets are keeping 3 females or one male. It is advisable to buy young animals - they adapt more easily to a change of scenery, transportation, and are tamed faster.

Closed plastic or glass containers can only be used for transporting adorable mice due to insufficient air circulation and high humidity.

Decorative mice are most active at dusk or at night and this should be taken into account when choosing a place for the cage, drafts and direct sunlight should be avoided in the cage with mice.
As bedding, special fillers for rodents, hay, sawdust or shavings of non-coniferous trees are used. Unstained tissues, paper towels, or unscented toilet paper can be used as bedding and mouse house material.
Special high-quality hay is not only a food product for decorative mice, it contributes to the grinding of teeth and is used by mice to equip their houses (nests).
Allocate the following necessary equipment and accessories for the places where decorative mice are kept:

• mink house made of ceramic or plastic;
• two feeders for dry and succulent food or treats;
• automatic drinker with ball valve;
• special wheel for jogging;
• a sufficient amount of entertainment and toys (swings, hammocks, ladders, ropes, labyrinths, etc.).

What should not be fed decorative mice?

• any cooked food containing salt, sugar or spices;
• chocolate, sweets;
• raw meat;
• onion garlic;
• cabbage, potatoes, rhubarb, vegetables with a high acid content;
• large quantities of tomatoes and beets;
• peanuts, walnuts, raw beans, wheat, corn;
• oranges, lemons, citrus and exotic fruits, raisins, grapes, any acidic fruits.

Average prices (rub.)

	Price, rub.)
Decorative mouse	200-300