Mouse



A mouse (Plural mice) is a mammal that belongs to one of numerous species of small rodents.

The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (Mus musculus). It is found in nearly all countries and, as the laboratory mouse, serves as an important model organism in biology; it is also a popular pet. (Non-biologists often use the term "mouse" synonymously with "Mus musculus"). The American white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) also sometimes live in houses. These species of mice live commensally with humans. Although they may live up to two years in the lab, the average mouse in the wild lives only 3 months, primarily due to heavy predation. Cats, wild dogs, foxes, birds-of-prey, snakes and even certain kinds of insects have been known to prey heavily upon mice.

Mice can be harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. The original motivation for the domestication of cats is thought to have been for their predation of mice and their relatives, the rats. A mouse trap can also be used to catch mice.

The mouse has bichromatic vision, lacking a photopigment that can detect red light.

There are 38 species in the genus Mus.

Discoloration in mice was supposedly first noticed in China by 1100 BC, where a white mouse was discovered. However, there is sufficient evidence to believe that white mice were first noticed before that, in the times of the Greeks and Ancient Rome.

Mice are among one of the few mammals that lay eggs, rather than giving live birth.

Diet
Mice generally live on a herbivore diet, but are actually omnivores: they will eat meat, the dead bodies of other mice, and have been observed to self-cannibalise their tails during starvation. Grasshopper mice are an exception to the rule, being the only fully carnivorous mice. Mice eat grains and fruits for a regular diet, which is the main reason they damage crops.

Mice in laboratory experiments
Mice are the most commonly utilized animal research model with hundreds of established in bred, out bred, and transgenic strains. In the United States, they are not covered under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) (administered by the USDA, APHIS) as an animal. However, the Public Health Service (PHS) Act as administered by the Nation Institute of Health (NIH) does cover their humane treatment.

Mice are common experimental animals in biology and psychology primarily because they are mammals, and thus share a high degree of homology with humans, but can be manipulated in ways that would be considered unethical to do with humans. They are a primary mammalian model organism, as are rats. Additional benefits of mice in laboratory research include the fact that mice are small, inexpensive, and several generations can be observed in a short period of time. The mouse genome has been sequenced, and most mouse genes have human homologs.

Mice as Feeder Animals
A very common use of mice currently is to feed many species of snakes, lizards, and even tarantulas. Most pet stores now carry mice for this purpose. Because they breed quickly, grow quickly, are easy to care for, they can be sold in a wide variety of sizes. This makes them suitable for consumption by animals of many different sizes. Mice also seem to be a desirable food item for a very large variety of carnivores. Common terms used to refer to different age/size mice are pinkies, fuzzies, hoppers, and adults. Pinkies are newborn mice that have not yet grown fur. Fuzzies have some fur but are generally not very mobile, hoppers have a full coat of hair and are fully mobile but are smaller than adult mice. These terms also refer to the various growth stages of rats (also see Fancy rat).

Mice specifically bred for pets and feeders are sometimes called fancy mice.

Mice as pets

 * Main article: Fancy mouse

Mice are now one of the leading rodent pets. Although their main purpose in pet stores is to be sold as snake food, many people buy mice as companion pets. Some common products used are:
 * Cage- Usually a hamster or gerbil cage, but special mouse cages are now available
 * Food- Special pelleted and seed-based food is available.
 * Bedding- Usually hardwoods, such as aspen. Cedar or pine should not be used because it contains harmful liquids that can damage any rodent's respiratory system. Corn cob bedding should also not be used because it promotes Aspergillis Fungus and can grow mold once it gets wet. It also is quite rough on their feet. Recycled virgin wood pulp is also used.

Some benefits of having mice as pets are
 * Minimal shedding and allergens
 * Entertaining and affectionate
 * Inexpensive
 * Clean (contrary to popular belief)
 * Socially self-sufficient (when in a group of other mice)
 * Mice are quite intelligent given their size

There are, however, some disadvantages to having pet mice
 * Small and quite fragile (not as easy to handle as a dog or a cat)
 * Nocturnal
 * Frequent eye infections under stress
 * Easily subject to disease when without optimal care
 * Frequent reproduction
 * Short lifespan
 * The male's urine gives off an unpleasant odor

Taxonomy of the genus Mus

 * Genus Mus
 * Subgenus Pyromys
 * Mus platythrix
 * Mus saxicola
 * Mus philipsi
 * Mus shortridgei
 * Mus fernandoni
 * Subgenus Coelomys
 * Mus mayori
 * Mus pahari
 * Mus crociduroides
 * Mus vulcani
 * Mus famulus
 * Subgenus Mus
 * Mus caroli
 * Mus cervicolor
 * Mus cookii
 * Mus cypriacus
 * Mus booduga
 * Mus terricolor
 * Mus musculus
 * Mus spretus
 * Mus macedonicus
 * Mus spicelegus
 * Mus fragilicauda
 * Subgenus Nannomys
 * Mus callewaerti
 * Mus setulosus
 * Mus triton
 * Mus bufo
 * Mus tenellus
 * Mus haussa
 * Mus mattheyi
 * Mus indutus
 * Mus setzeri
 * Mus musculoides
 * Mus minutoides
 * Mus orangiae
 * Mus mahomet
 * Mus sorella
 * Mus kasaicus
 * Mus neavei
 * Mus oubanguii
 * Mus goundae
 * Mus baoulei

Trivia
An estimated half a million mice live on the London Underground.

Two mice of opposite sexes can produce up to 5,000 descendants in a year.