A mouse is a small animal that belongs to the class Mammals, order Rodents, family Mouse (Muridae).

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

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

The mouse's paws are short with five prehensile toes. 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, but 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 bushes, city gardens and parks, and makes a refuge both in burrows and in any natural shelters. In flooded areas it builds nests on 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 belly (sometimes with a small spot yellow color). The body size of adult individuals reaches 10-13 cm, the tail has approximately the same length. The mouse weighs about 50 grams. This type of mouse is widespread in the forests of Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Caucasus, the northern provinces of China and Altai. Yellow-throated mice live on open edges in hollow trees or dug holes, but they can also live in rocky areas. Their diet includes both plant and animal foods. By eating young shoots 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 with the tail - 35 cm. The weight of individual large individuals exceeds 100 g. The fur of the back and sides is dark gray or grayish-brown in color with some hard and prickly bristles of a darker shade. The belly color is light gray. This type of mouse is most common in African countries, where they live in bushes, forests and savannas. As a refuge, grass mice choose abandoned termite mounds or dig holes on their own, but on occasion they can enter human habitation. The basis of the diet of mice is plant food.

• (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 - 6.5 cm, and the weight of the baby does not exceed 10 g. The back and sides are plain 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 area 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 made in the grass as shelter, and overwinter in burrows, haystacks, and human residential or outbuildings. The basis of the diet of baby mice is the seeds of cereals and legumes, as well as small insects. They often settle near granaries, causing great harm agriculture.

• (Mus musculus)

the most widespread species of the rodent family on the planet. 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 are sandy in color. The mouse's muzzle is sharp with small rounded ears. The distribution range 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, and very often penetrate into human outbuildings and residential buildings. IN natural conditions They dig minks on their own, although they can also occupy homes abandoned by other rodents. They feed on seeds and juicy green parts of plants, and once they enter a person’s home, they eat everything they can get their teeth into – from bread and sausages to paraffin candles.

• (Lemniscomys striatus)

small 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 plant “dishes”: root vegetables, soft seeds, juicy fruits, and occasionally small insects.

• (akomis) (Acomys)

a rather handsome representative of the mouse family, the owner of huge eyes and equally large ears. The size of the spiny mouse, including its tail, is 13-26 cm; the back of the animal is covered with thin spines, like a regular hedgehog. An amazing feature of these animals is regeneration: when in danger, the mouse is able to shed a piece of skin, leaving the attacker bewildered. Skin covering quickly recovers without damage to the individual. The spiny mouse lives in Asian countries and is found in Cyprus and Africa. In food it focuses on plant foods; this animal is often kept as pet.

Where does the mouse live?

The distribution range 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, steppes 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 holes, or dig complex systems underground passages. Unlike species that live in swamps, mountain, steppe and forest mice swim poorly.

The basis of the diet of mice is plant food: grass seeds, fruits of trees or shrubs and cereals (wheat, oats, barley, millet, buckwheat). Mice that live in marshy areas, wet and flooded meadows, feed on leaves, buds or flowers of plants and shrubs. Some types of mice prefer protein supplements such as insects, worms, beetles, spiders. Once in the house, these animals happily gnaw on potatoes, sausage, bakery products, eggs or cheese.

The mouse does not hibernate in winter and can move under the snow crust without appearing on the surface.

To survive the cold, she has to create substantial food reserves in pantries located near the entrance to the burrow.

What to feed mice at home?

Although pet mice eat many foods, not all of them are recommended for your pets, because there are foods that are not only harmful, but also dangerous for rodents. This is why it is important to properly feed mice at home to keep them healthy, active and energetic.

The best option for feeding domestic rodents is ready-made balanced food, which can be purchased at any pet store. It is important to note that it is worth choosing “Mouse Food”, since 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 of 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 your pets with a natural diet.
Pet mice are given:

Mice breeding

Species of mice living in natural conditions reproduce with the onset of the warm season, and those living in houses or apartments reproduce all year round. There are no mating rituals among rodents, but if two male mice claim one female, a fight often occurs between them. The female's pregnancy lasts about 24 days, and up to 10 pups can appear in one litter. One female mouse produces up to 4 litters per year. Sexual maturity of individuals occurs after 2-3 months. Lifespan of mice in natural conditions does not exceed 9 months, and in captivity this figure can reach 8 years.

House mice are used as experimental animals when 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 species of mice often become pets. They quickly get used to their owner and easily find him by smell. To keep them, you need a spacious glass terrarium, equipped with a drinker, feeder and house. Caring for mice is not difficult; you just need to change the bedding in a timely manner, give food and not touch newborn mice with your hands.

• Translated from Indo-European language the word "mouse" means thief.
• Contrary to popular belief, the strong smell of cheese repels rodents.
• A monument to a laboratory mouse has been erected in Novosibirsk Academy Town.
• When threatened, spiny mice can shed a small patch of skin to confuse their pursuer.
• The information that elephants are afraid of mice is just a myth.

This small tailed animal is gray in color, 9–11 cm long. Tail is 7–10 cm, body weight is 12–93 g. A typically synanthropic species. From time immemorial, it lives near people, getting along even in the largest cities.

In the summer, some house mice move “out into nature” - into fields, orchards and vegetable gardens. By winter, mice return to human buildings again, as they do not tolerate the winter cold well. In the southern regions of Russia, some mice live in nature all year round.

Feeds house mouse mainly seeds and succulent parts of plants. It spoils food supplies in homes, chews and stains cereals, bread, meat and dairy products. It leaves traces of its presence in the form of gnawed bags and sacks, cabinet walls, scatterings of elongated grains of droppings and an unpleasant mouse smell in cabinets and on shelves. Mice often damage furniture and chew books.

Traces of careful steps of a house mouse in a dark basement

The paw prints of this rodent are rarely found indoors, but if you go down to the village basement where food is stored, then on the soft layer of dust you can see small traces of both the house mouse and other rodents. In cellars, especially towards the end of winter, in addition to house mice, various voles, wood mice, shrews, gray and, in some places, black rats often appear. Following the rodents, small predators also penetrate here, especially often -. So basements and cellars are very interesting places for trackers.

Often, authors of books about animal tracks emphasize that mice usually move in leaps, so their tracks are arranged in the form of a trapezoid, where the prints of larger ones hind legs are in front, and the small tracks of the front paws are behind them and closer to each other.

Behind the tracks is often visible a long strip left by the animal's tail. Unlike wood voles, house mice have longer jumps (over 25 cm) and a longer tail stripe remains on their tracks. Unlike mice, all species of the genus of gray voles (, field vole, etc.) more often move with a quick mincing step, and then their tracks lie in a slightly winding stripe, or a paired gallop, leaving a two-bead pattern with short gaps between subsequent pairs of prints (10–20 cm ). Short tail leaves a mark on the snow much less often. If this were always the case, then using these features it would be easy to distinguish the tracks of mice from the tracks of forest voles, and the tracks of the latter from the tracks of gray voles.

In order to find out what traces various small animals leave, I set up a kind of trail area in the basement, like a border trail strip. I removed everything unnecessary from the intended place - slivers, lumps and other debris. After that, I rolled out a layer of dust with a glass bottle, achieving a smooth surface. At the end of this area I set a trap with bait. It was impossible to get to the bait without leaving clear traces on the layer of dust.

It turned out that in conditions of complete darkness in the basement, all the animals move differently than in the forest or field. Here they are forced to move at a slow, careful pace, navigating, apparently, by smell and feeling the path in front of them with long vibrissae. With this movement, the paw prints are arranged in pairs in a winding stripe. The small print of the front paw is in front, and the print of the hind paw is slightly behind, sometimes partially covering the print of the front paw.

The toes on the front paws of these animals are quite widely spaced. On the back, the three middle fingers are only slightly spaced and point forward, while the lateral (first and fifth) fingers are strongly protruded to the sides. The tail imprint on the dust is usually not visible. This is how mice and voles move in a dark room.

Looking closely at the tracks of house mice returning to houses at the beginning of winter, I noticed that here they most often do not jump, but move with a quick mincing step, leaving a winding strip of paired prints. True, in this case, the larger prints of the hind paws appear in front of the small hind tracks. And if the animals had not been captured, their tracks would have been more likely to be taken for the tracks of voles rather than mice. On snow or ground, mice move with more confident long steps.

If in the basement the step length was 2–2.5 cm, the width of the track was 3.5 cm, then in the snow the length of the steps increased to 3.5 cm, and the width of the track decreased to 2.5 cm. At the same time, by many tens of meters I didn’t notice a single stripe left by the animal’s tail, because the mouse does not drag its tail, but holds it straight out above the ground. This is why tail marks usually remain only when a rodent jumps on loose snow.

The size of the print of the front paw of a house mouse is 0.8 × 1, the back one is 1.2 × 1.1 cm. The droppings have the appearance of small, blackish, elongated grains with a slightly pointed end on one side, measuring about 0.5 × 0.2 cm. On average, it is smaller than that of the forest mouse, and especially the yellow-throated mouse, and darker and more pointed than that of voles. However, it would be unnecessary to assume that it can always be distinguished from the droppings of other small rodents.

Almost every person has acquired a pet at least once in their life. Some prefer common types of pets such as cats and dogs. Some people like exotic reptile species. Well, some owners keep a white mouse as a pet.

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

Previously, in many countries there was a belief that if there is a white mouse in the house, 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 have a favorable attitude towards this decorative animal.

Character and size

According to its size white mouse similar to its brothers. 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 their excessive activity, they are absolutely harmless both to their owners and to 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 agreement even in the same territory, provided that they were placed in a cage of the same age. When a newcomer moves in, 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 in tears for a new mouse. But this case may be the only act of aggression on the part of ornamental rodents.

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

How to breed decorative mice

Pregnancy in a female lasts no more than 21 days. One litter can have up to 7 mice, weighing about 1.5 grams. Like many newborn animals, children of the decorative rodent are born not only blind and deaf, but also completely bald. After a few days of age, little mice develop a small fluff on their backs. After a week after 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 has given birth, she is ready for another fertilization.

Upon reaching one month old , 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 lifespan of rodents is 2-3 years. There have been cases where a white mouse has crossed the threshold at 5 years.

This decorative rodent from the white mouse family is very easy to train. Once the mouse gets used to its owner, it will not hesitate to come to its owner's arms. When letting a mouse go for a walk from its cage, it is better to keep an eye on it with both eyes. Because if she hides somewhere, then finding her will be a difficult task.

House 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 an ornamental pet can be placed in an aquarium. This idea is not the best, since glass walls tend to fog up quickly. And cleaning such a home will take much longer than a cage. Even if the owner decides to place his pet in such housing, then he should purchase a metal mesh with small holes. This will allow the pet to breathe full breasts and will protect the owner from escaping his little friend.

What must be present in the cell?

• Small pieces of chalk. If there is a shortage of chalk, then you can place parts from branches in the cage. A rusty piece of bread also works well. These things are necessary for the rodent to sharpen its teeth and to prevent further growth of the incisors and add the necessary food to the diet. minerals For healthy growth mice.
• Litter. The most common materials used as bedding for rodents are 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, mice will not be able to sit still. And it is the running wheel that will remove all the accumulated energy from it.

White mouse food

To keep your pet healthy, the owner should remember that the diet must be balanced. Daily norm consumption is 50 grams of food feed. You can use it as food:

To summarize, we can say that these peaceful and active animals do not require excessive care when living as a pet. Periodic change of bedding, arrangement of the house and balanced diet, that's all you need for healthy growth decorative mouse. If you do not neglect these rules, then a happy animal will, without a doubt, thank its owner with love and curiosity, and will become a best friend who will not only be a pet, but also part of the family.

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 adapt quickly, are unpretentious in maintenance, do not require much 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 fertile and reach sexual maturity early. Decorative varieties easily get used to humans and become tame.

Colors of decorative mice

Breeders have developed interesting varieties of mice, differing 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

The colors are “tan” (red tan on the main background) and “fox” (white tan).

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

Variegated - colored specks are located on a main white background.

There are many more options, in particular the wild color agouti, sable, chinchilla, Siamese and many others. You can find short-tailed and naked mice, so anyone who decides to have this curious animal at home will definitely find a pet to suit their taste.

You can keep the mouse in a metal cage or in a glass terrarium with a wide bottom and low sides (the top is covered with a mesh). When choosing an enclosure, remember that the mouse is capable of chewing through wood and many other materials, as well as squeezing into narrow crevices. It is better to choose a spacious room; animals are very active and need movement.

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

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

At first, when a mouse just begins to settle into a new place, it, as a rule, spends all its 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 withdraw into 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.

After giving wooden toys to a rodent, you need to make sure that there is no paint or varnish left on them, which, if they get into the animal’s stomach, can cause some harm to its health.

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

Diet of mice

Mice are unpretentious when it comes to food. They enjoy eating grains - oats, millet, wheat, barley, corn. Sometimes you can feed the seeds in small quantities. They eat cottage cheese, cheese, and boiled egg whites well. Vegetables, fruits, berries, and bread are suitable as treats. 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 high speed metabolic processes, food should always be in the feeder. Branches of fruit trees or birch are also needed for grinding down the incisors.

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

Like all small rodents, mice are very fertile. Mice at favorable conditions keeping and feeding are able to reproduce 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 capable of fertilizing females throughout their lives. It is believed that the working qualities of a male are the highest before one to one and a half years of age. Fluctuations in the degree of sexual activity depend on the adequacy of feeding and physical health animal.

Babies are born in a shelter house, where the mother mouse builds a nest from hay, paper and rags. Childbirth usually occurs at night, and there are no complications. There are from 5 to 9 mice in one litter. The mice are born naked. Their eyes and ears are closed. The weight of newborn mice is 1-2 g, 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 are helpless at birth and practically do not move.

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

Newborn mice should not be handled. The foreign smell will remain on their bodies, the worried 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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