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 long time go without water. 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 various dangerous diseases carried by it:

• 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 different types mice differ from each other in size, color and habitat. live in Russia the following types wild mice:

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 upper floors 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.

spring house mouse move to nature, and with the onset of cold weather returns to the room. 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, Far East and in 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.

decorative house mouse(Fancy mouse) - 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.

Mice are very prolific and breed all year round, live in a flock, building entire hierarchies with a male leader and several dominant females. Adult males are quite aggressive towards each other, females show aggression much less frequently.
Female mice are more popular as pets as they are easier to keep in a group and don't smell as strong as male mice.
It is believed that the domestication of the house mouse occurred in China. The first written reference to keeping mice as pets is found in the oldest Chinese dictionary from 1100 BC.
Domestic mice have been used for laboratory research, as live animal food, in sport competitions (mouse racing), and as pets. Domestic mice show significant physical changes compared to their wild ancestors. In Europe, decorative mice appeared at the beginning of the 17th century. The first English National Breeders' Club was founded in 1895.
Thanks to the work of breeders, many varieties and breeds have been bred. decorative mice which are different:

• 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

The body length of the Ornamental mouse is from 6.5 to 9.5 cm, the tail, which is at least 60% of the total body length, is covered with scales and sparse short hairs. The weight of mice is from 12 to 30 g.
In wildlife, the life expectancy of a house mouse usually does not exceed 12-18 months.
The life expectancy of decorative mice is 2-3 years. In 2005, a laboratory mouse lifespan record was recorded - 1819 days (almost 5 years).

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 best options for the maintenance of decorative mice as pets are the maintenance of 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.

To create optimal conditions for keeping decorative mice, a special cage or terrarium with a minimum bottom size of 40x50 cm is required. In the case of a terrarium, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation - sufficient air circulation.

Closed plastic or glass containers should only be used for transporting Fancy 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 a cage, drafts and direct contact should be avoided. sun rays in a 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 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.).

At Decorative mice teeth are constantly growing, for grinding of which it is necessary to offer a mineral stone, special wooden blocks or branches of fruit trees.
Special complete food for mice can be supplemented with various vegetables and fruits (juicy food): pumpkin, apples, carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, zucchini, pear, apricot, peach, melon, eggplant, cauliflower, Jerusalem artichoke, broccoli. From berries Decorative mice can be offered currants, raspberries, strawberries.
Continuous access to clean and fresh drinking water must be ensured.

What should not be fed decorative mice?

The following foods are considered dangerous for home decorative mouse::

• 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;
• peanut, 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

Decorative mice - care and maintenance, diseases, photos of mice. - 4.5 out of 5 based on 37 votes

Decorative mice - care and maintenance

Decorative mice quickly adapt, are unpretentious in content, do not require a lot of space, come in a variety of colors and are very funny. These small animals from the order of rodents are awake, mainly at night, are very prolific and reach puberty early. Decorative varieties easily get used to a person and become tame.

Colors of decorative mice

Breeders have bred interesting varieties of mice that differ in the type of coat (standard, long-haired, satin, curly) and a wide variety of colors.

Solid colors - animals are painted in one color - white, black, blue, red, silver, etc. Source: decorative mice

Colors "tan" (red tan on the main background) and "fox" (white tan).

Marked colors take into account the location of spots and color zones. These are tape, Dutch, broken labeled, etc.

Variegated - on the main white background there is a colored speck.

There are many more options, including wild-colored agouti, sable, chinchilla, Siamese and many others. You can meet short-tailed and naked mice, so anyone who decides to have this curious animal at home is sure to find a pet to their taste.

You can keep the mouse in a metal cage or in a glass terrarium with a wide bottom and low sides (it is covered with a net on top). When choosing an aviary, remember that the mouse is able to gnaw through wood and many other materials, as well as squeeze into narrow cracks. It is better to choose a spacious room, the animals are very active and need movement.

The bottom is lined with shavings or strips of unpainted paper. They put a house (a box, a jar, a pot, etc.), a stable feeder, a drinking bowl and all kinds of devices for games in the cage. Levels, ladders, branches, shelters will do, you can buy a wheel for running.

Rodents are more shy than other pets and do not get used to humans too quickly. At first, be prepared for the fact that the animal you have acquired will avoid contact with humans. Try to equip the cage in such a way that the mouse has the opportunity, if necessary, to hide in a shelter.

At first, when the mouse is just starting to get used to a new place, she, as a rule, spends all the time inside the shelter house, leaving it only to eat the food offered.

The mouse is a herd animal. If one rodent lives in a cage, it needs to be given much more attention than two or more individuals. Otherwise, the animal will gradually close in on itself and will constantly sit in the house. To prevent this from happening, the mouse can be offered to play with a small ball, wooden cubes or figures.

Having given wooden toys to a rodent, it is necessary to make sure that there is no paint and varnish left on them, which, once in the stomach of the animal, can cause some harm to its health.

When feeding and caring for an animal, sudden movements that can frighten it should be avoided. Gradually accustom the mouse to the sound of your voice, try to talk quietly and in a gentle tone. After a while, the pet will willingly respond to the nickname that is given to him. Since mice have a well-developed sense of smell, they quickly get used to the smell of a person bringing food. Every time the owner approaches the mouse, she will greet him with a joyful squeak.

Mice Diet

In food, mice are unpretentious. With pleasure they eat grain - oats, millet, wheat, barley, corn. Sometimes you can feed the seeds in small quantities. They eat well cottage cheese, cheese, boiled egg protein. As a treat, vegetables, fruits, berries, bread are suitable. From time to time it is necessary to add vitamins and mineral supplements to the diet. Pet stores sell special food for mice and treats for rodents. Due to the high speed metabolic processes, food should always be in the feeder. Branches of fruit trees or birch are also needed for grinding incisors.

Plants poisonous to ornamental mice include: kokorysh, hemlock, celandine, purple or red foxglove, wrestler, May lily of the valley, white hellebore, henbane, crow's eye, nightshade, dope, anemone, poisonous sow thistle, wolf berries, night blindness, marsh marigold, meadow lumbago, self-seed poppy, bracken fern, wild rosemary.

Like all small rodents, mice are very prolific. Mice at favorable conditions maintenance and feeding are able to breed throughout the year. Puberty in mice occurs at the age of 30-35 days after birth, i.e. long before the end of growth. Males tend to mature at more late dates and are able to fertilize females throughout their lives. It is believed that the working qualities of the male are the highest up to one - one and a half years of age. Fluctuations in the degree of sexual activity depend on the usefulness of feeding and physical health animal.

Babies are born in a shelter house, where a mother mouse builds a nest from hay, paper and rags. Childbirth occurs, as a rule, at night, complications do not happen. There are from 5 to 9 mice in one litter. The mice are born naked. Their eyes and ears are closed. The mass of newborn mice is 1-2 g, the body length is 3 cm. At birth, the sex is practically indistinguishable. In more late age males become larger than females and can be distinguished from each other. Mice at birth are helpless, practically do not move.

During this period, it is necessary to maintain a high milk production of the female. There must always be milk in the cage good quality and fresh water. Newborns grow fast. Their mass doubles on the 4th - 5th day, the linear dimensions of the body increase. On the third - fifth day after birth, the ears of the mice open, the body begins to become covered with hair. At two weeks of age, their eyes open. On the third week of life, the mice crawl out of the nest and begin to consume food on their own. Weaning of young animals from females is carried out on the 20th - 25th day after birth. The female touchingly looks after newborns, protects them, feeds, cleans. The father shows parental feelings to the children if there are no other males in the cage.

Newborn mice should not be picked up. A foreign smell will remain on their body, an alarmed mother will stop feeding them, and they will die. For the first two weeks, try not to disturb the female at all: do not change the bedding, exclude perishable food from the diet.

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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.

• body length adult 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 wild mouse ranges from 12 to 30 g. Sexual dimorphism is poorly marked. 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 yellow color, 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 number 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- interesting view domestic mice are 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 in warm time of the year. 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 unfavorable 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, polyurethane foam.

Interesting!

AT wild environment residence, house mice intensify their activity in the dark. During the day they hide in burrows for several reasons - they don’t like bright light 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. Also 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 years domestic mice are 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.

General characteristics

The first thing you need to know about these rodents is that they live in families. Therefore, estimate in advance the amount of time that you can devote to your pet. If you spend most of your time at work, then it is wiser to have several individuals at once so that they can entertain each other in your absence. If you decide to stop at one representative of the mouse family, you need to often pick it up, talk, otherwise it can quickly run wild. In addition, in the case of choosing one rodent, it is better to stop at the female - she does not have such an urgent need to mark her territory, like a male, which will undoubtedly affect the smell in your apartment.

If you decide to adopt two decorative mice, it is better that they are of the same sex, otherwise you will suddenly have a whole bunch of little cubs. The female is able to become pregnant almost monthly and bring up to 6 babies at a time.

In general, the animal quickly gets used to the owner, to the smell of the hand that brings food. After completing the taming process, you can teach your pet simple tricks with the help of delicious dishes. After some time, the baby begins to respond to his nickname.

If you already have mice and want to add another one to them, then do not forget about the laws of the wild: all animals protect their territory. In order for your pets to safely accept a new neighbor, you need to do the following before moving in:

1. Thoroughly wash the cage.
2. Lay new bedding.

This will completely destroy the smell of the guests already living there, and also turn the marked area into an uninhabited area. Thus, all pets are in same conditions, start marking territory again. If these measures are not taken, then the mice already living with you may not accept the newcomer and kill him.

Where to buy a decorative mouse?

How long do decorative mice live?

This question also worries future owners before buying a rodent. On average, these mice live 1.5-2 years, but you can not dismiss the fact that the life expectancy of a pet will depend mainly on how you will contain it. With the right maintenance, the life expectancy of a norushka can increase up to three years.

Where to keep decorative mice?

Before you bring the animal into the house, you need to equip him with a place of residence. It could be:

• cell;
• vivarium (glass or plastic).

Whatever you choose, don't forget to get a metal lid with lattice inserts at the same time. It is needed so that the pet does not go to study the world without supervision, because mice are masters at jumping and climbing, and it is quite difficult to catch them. In addition, a hand mouse can easily run wild, having lived a couple of days outside the cage without the attention of the owners.

When choosing a place for the future home of a rodent, consider the fact that mice have a very weak immunity and correct location the house will save the baby from many diseases, and you from the hassle. Here are some guidelines for cage placement:

1. It should stand in a dry place, completely protected from drafts.
2. The cage is recommended to be installed near the walls, but it is undesirable to put it on the floor.
3. It is contraindicated to place the cage near heat sources. The neighborhood of the house with batteries and heaters may not have a very good effect on the pet.
4. The location of the future home should be chosen so that direct rays of the sun do not fall on it.

You need to clean the cage at least a couple of times a week, and from time to time you need to wash everything that is in it with soap. If this does not save your apartment from the smell of rodents living in it, then at least it will significantly muffle it.

What should be in a mouse dwelling?

For all of us, comfort in the house is important and animals also need comfort. In order for the pet to be comfortable, housing must be equipped in such a way that it contains:

• feeder;
• drinker;
• house;
• wheel;
• mineral salt stone.

Do not forget that the animal is quite active by nature, which means that the more ladders and branches you put there, the more comfortable the animal will be there. The size of the vivarium depends on the size of your apartment and how much space you are willing to share with the baby, but the larger it is, the better the animal will live in it.

What to feed decorative mice?

At their core, mice are omnivores and, being in their natural habitat, they can even eat something that is completely unsuitable for food. But house mice require much more attention and care. When choosing food for a pet, you need to remember the following:

1. Food should be varied and balanced. The main component of the diet of these animals is cereals.
2. The food needs to be alternated, alternately giving the baby a dry and juicy variety.
3. They can be fed food intended for other animals. Your rodent will be happy to eat not only food for mice, but also for rats, guinea pigs, birds, cats and dogs.
4. Food and water must be available around the clock.
5. It will be useful for the rodent to periodically feed it with various insects.
6. From time to time you can feed fruit cut into small pieces.
7. Don't feed your mouse anything you haven't eaten yourself. She is not a pig. And almost everything that people eat is harmful to her. Salt, nutritional supplements, spices - all this is unsuitable for a rodent.
8. To maintain the health of the baby, do not forget to give him vitamins at least once a month.

Breeds of decorative mice

These representatives of the mouse family differ from each other both in the type of wool and in the length of the body. But the easiest way to qualify them is by the color of the coat. By color they are divided into the following types:

• Self Fawn (plain deer);
• Broken Marked (broken marked) - this is a mouse with dark inserts of any color;
• Banded (tape) - such a rodent must have paws white color and a small patch of white wool against any other color;
• Black Tan (black tan);
• Rump White (white rump) - the main part of the body of a rodent can have any color, against which a white rump will appear, capturing the back of the body along with the legs and tail;
• Dove Tan (dove tan);
• Sable (sable) - is distinguished by the absence of pronounced boundaries between two shades: dark brown and golden;
• Rex (rex) - short curly coat of a regular color;
• Astrex is a long, curly coat.
• Argente - the most uniform mixture of light brown and silver shades;
• Pearl (pearl);
• Silver Fox (black-brown fox) - the belly is white, and top part body brown, lilac, black or bluish;
• Silver Tan (silver tan);
• Longhaired (mouse with long hair);
• Blue Tan (blue tan);
• Red (red);
• Chinchilla;
• Silver Gray Tan (silver gray tan);
• Agouti (agouti) - the color of the fur coat like that of a wild mouse;
• Variegated (variegated);
• Siamese (Siamese) - beige or bluish color;
• Dutch (Dutch).

For a more accurate idea of ​​what was written above, you should search the Internet or specialized literature for photos of decorative mice, because it is better to see once than to listen endlessly.

Summarizing everything written above, we can conclude that decorative mice are quite a good option when choosing a pet.

They do not require too much attention, are unpretentious in food and do not take up much space. At the same time, they are quite active, constantly frolic and are able to give a lot of positive emotions to their owners. By taming this little miracle, you will get a friend who will greet you with a joyful squeak every day, and what could be nicer than knowing that your little pet is waiting for you at home?