
[Middle English mous, from Old English mūs.]
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The name associated with any species of animals which are members of the families Muridae, Heteromyidae, Cricetidae, and Zapodidae in the order Rodentia. Some of the more common species are listed in the table. Many species are used for research in both biology and medicine. In addition to their use in studying the mechanisms of genetics, they are important in the study of carcinogenesis, effects of drugs, and virology. They are also important experimental animals in studying cell physiology, such as for cell and tissue culture research. The familiar white mouse is an albino form of the house mouse and is used extensively in research.
Families and subfamilies | Examples |
|---|---|
Family: Heteromyldae | |
Subfamily. Perognathinae | Pocket and kangaroo mice |
Subfamfly: Heteromyinae | Spiny pocket mice |
Family: Cricetidae | |
Subfamily: Crtcetinae | Climbing mice, harvest mice, water mite, white-footed mice, pigmy mice |
Family: Muridae | |
Subfamily: Murinae | Striped mice, house mice, spiny mice, harvest mice, field mice, forest mice |
Subfamily: Dendromurinae | African tree mice |
Family: Zapodidae | Jumping mice |
The common house mouse is one of the oldest known species of domestic rodent pests. It usually has a maximum lifespan of 4 years with four to six litters of four to eight young each per year. The gestation period is about 3 weeks. These rodents begin to breed at 3 months of age. Adults have a pointed snout, compact body, and an equally long tail. The ears are fairly large, as are the legs. While omnivorous, they have a preference for grains and other vegetable foods. Of the 44 species known, only one species occurs in the United States, and it has become wild in some parts of the country. See also Rodentia.
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From our Archives: Today's Highlights, November 17, 2010
Types of Mice
Most, but not all, of the rodents called mice are members of the rodent subclass Myomorpha, or mouselike rodents. The approximately 1,100 species in this enormous group are classified in several families. The Old World family Muridae includes the now ubiquitous house mouse, as well as a great variety of wild-living Old World species, including the Old World field mouse, the tiny European harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) and the African tree mice. The cosmopolitan family Cricetidae includes the native New World mice, such as the deer mouse, American harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys), the carnivorous grasshopper mouse, the South American field mice, the pack rat, and the rice rat; it also includes the various Old and New World species of vole, hamster, lemming, muskrat, and gerbil. Still other families of the Myomorpha include the dormouse, jumping mouse, and jerboa. The pocket mouse and the kangaroo rats and mice are members of the suborder Sciuromorpha, or squirrellike rodents.
House Mouse
The house mouse, Mus musculus, found throughout the world, is the most familiar of the mice; many of its races live commensally with humans and are serious pests, while others live in the wild. It usually measures about 6 in. (15 cm) long and weighs under 1 oz (28 grams). It has gray to brown fur, large rounded ears, a pointed muzzle, and a naked scaley tail. An omnivorous feeder, it causes great destruction and contamination of food supplies. Its nests are built of available chewable materials, such as clothing and paper. It may carry human diseases, such as typhoid and spotted fever. Females produce litters of four to eight young after a gestation period of three weeks; under favorable conditions they breed throughout the year. The young mature in two months. House mice, particularly albino strains, are extensively used in biological and medical experimentation and are also sometimes kept as pets.
Field Mouse
Field mouse is a name applied to various wild-living mice in different parts of the world. The Old World field mice are species of the genus Apodemus, closely related to the house mouse and found throughout Eurasia and North Africa. The widely distributed long-tailed field mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, is a nocturnal, burrowing creature that prefers succulent plant food and frequently invades gardens and houses. In North America the name field mouse (or meadow mouse) is applied to voles. South American field mice belong to the genus Akodon, with about sixty species distributed among a wide variety of habitats, including human dwellings. Most of these resemble long-tailed voles. The name tree mouse is likewise applied to various arboreal mice and voles in different parts of the world.
Classification
Mice are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia.
n.
An animal which strews its path with fainting women. As in Rome Christians were thrown to the lions, so centuries earlier in Otumwee, the most ancient and famous city of the world, female heretics were thrown to the mice. Jakak-Zotp, the historian, the only Otumwump whose writings have descended to us, says that these martyrs met their death with little dignity and much exertion. He even attempts to exculpate the mice (such is the malice of bigotry) by declaring that the unfortunate women perished, some from exhaustion, some of broken necks from falling over their own feet, and some from lack of restoratives. The mice, he avers, enjoyed the pleasures of the chase with composure. But if "Roman history is nine-tenths lying," we can hardly expect a smaller proportion of that rhetorical figure in the annals of a people capable of so incredible cruelty to a lovely women; for a hard heart has a false tongue.
Worry is today's mice nibbling on tomorrow's cheese.
— Unknown.
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Pl. mice.
1. small rodent, various species of which are used in laboratory experiments and kept as domestic pets.
2. a small loose body, e.g. in a joint.

| Mouse Temporal range: Late Miocene–Recent |
|
|---|---|
| House Mouse, Mus musculus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Subfamily: | Murinae |
| Genus: | Mus Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Species | |
|
30 known species |
|
A mouse (plural: mice) is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents, characteristically having a pointed snout, small rounded ears, and a long naked or almost hairless tail. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (Mus musculus). It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles. They are known to invade homes for food and occasionally shelter.
The American White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), as well as other common species of mouse-like rodents around the world, also sometimes live in houses. These, however, are in other genera.
Cats, wild dogs, foxes, birds of prey, snakes and even certain kinds of arthropods have been known to prey heavily upon mice. Nevertheless, because of its remarkable adaptability to almost any environment, the mouse is one of the most successful mammalian genera living on Earth today.
Mice can at times be harmful rodents, damaging and eating crops,[1] causing structural damage and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces.[2] In North America, breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse excrement has been linked to hantavirus, which may lead to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).
Primarily nocturnal animals, mice compensate for their poor eyesight with a keen sense of hearing, and rely especially on their sense of smell to locate food and avoid predators.[3]
Mice and rats are the most commonly used animals for laboratory tests.[4]
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Breeding onset is at about 50 days of age in both females and males, although females may have their first estrus at 25–40 days. Mice are polyestrous and breed year round; ovulation is spontaneous. The duration of the estrous cycle is 4–5 days and estrus itself lasts about 12 hours, occurring in the evening. Vaginal smears are useful in timed matings to determine the stage of the estrous cycle. Mating is usually nocturnal and may be confirmed by the presence of a copulatory plug in the vagina up to 24 hours post-copulation. The presence of sperm on a vaginal smear is also a reliable indicator of mating.[5]
Female mice housed together tend to go into anestrus and do not cycle. If exposed to a male mouse or the pheromones of a male mouse, most of the females will go into estrus in about 72 hours. This synchronization of the estrous cycle is known as the Whitten effect. The exposure of a recently bred mouse to the pheromones of a strange male mouse may prevent implantation (or pseudopregnancy), a phenomenon known as the Bruce effect.[5]
The average gestation period is 20 days. A fertile postpartum estrus occurs 14–24 hours following parturition, and simultaneous lactation and gestation prolongs gestation 3–10 days owing to delayed implantation. The average litter size is 10–12 during optimum production, but is highly strain-dependent. As a general rule, inbred mice tend to have longer gestation periods and smaller litters than outbred and hybrid mice. The young are called pups and weigh 0.5–1.5 g (0.018–0.053 oz) at birth, are hairless, and have closed eyelids and ears. Cannibalism is uncommon, but females should not be disturbed during parturition and for at least 2 days postpartum. Pups are weaned at 3 weeks of age; weaning weight is 10–12 g (0.35–0.42 oz). If the postpartum estrus is not utilized, the female resumes cycling 2–5 days post-weaning.[5]
Newborn male mice are distinguished from newborn females by noting the greater anogenital distance and larger genital papilla in the male. This is best accomplished by lifting the tails of littermates and comparing perineums.[5]
Mice are common experimental animals in biology and psychology primarily because they are mammals, and also because they share a high degree of homology with humans. They are the most commonly used mammalian model organism, more common than rats. The mouse genome has been sequenced, and virtually all mouse genes have human homologs. They can also be manipulated in ways that would be considered unethical to do with humans (note Animal Rights). A knockout mouse is a genetically engineered mouse that has had one or more of its genes made inoperable through a gene knockout.
There are other reasons why mice are used in laboratory research. Mice are small, inexpensive, easily maintained, and can reproduce quickly. Several generations of mice can be observed in a relatively short period of time. Mice are generally very docile if raised from birth and given sufficient human contact. However, certain strains have been known to be quite temperamental. Mice and rats have the same organs in the same places, just different proportions.
All members of the Mus genus are referred to as mice. However, the term mouse can also be applied to species outside of this genus. Mouse often refers to any small muroid rodent, while rat refers to larger muroid rodents. Therefore these terms are not taxonomically specific. For simplicity, only the rodent subgenera belonging to the Mus genus are listed here.
Genus Mus - Typical mice
| This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
Many people buy mice as companion pets. They can be playful, loving and can grow used to being handled. Like pet rats, pet mice should not be left unsupervised outside as they have many natural predators, including (but not limited to) birds, lizards, cats, and dogs. Male mice tend to have a stronger odor than the females. However, mice are careful groomers and as pets they never need bathing. Well looked after mice can make ideal pets. Some common mouse care products are:
In nature, mice are largely herbivores, consuming any kind of fruit or grain from plants.[6] Consequently, mice adapt well to urban areas and are known for eating almost all types of food scraps. In captivity, mice are commonly fed commercial pelleted mouse diet. These diets are nutritionally complete, but they still need a large variety of vegetables. Food intake is approximately 15 g (0.53 oz) per 100 g (3.5 oz) of body weight per day; water intake is approximately 15 ml (0.53 imp fl oz; 0.51 US fl oz) per 100 g of body weight per day.[5]
Mice are a staple in the diet of many small carnivores. Humans have eaten mice since prehistoric times and still eat them as a delicacy throughout eastern Zambia and northern Malawi,[7], where they are a seasonal source of protein. Mice are no longer routinely consumed by humans elsewhere.
In various countries mice are used as food[8] for pets such as snakes, lizards, frogs, tarantulas and birds of prey, and many pet stores carry mice for this purpose. Some countries, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, have banned the practice of feeding live mice, citing ethical concerns regarding both predator and prey.[9]
Common terms used to refer to different ages/sizes of mice when sold for pet food are "pinkies", "fuzzies", "crawlers", "hoppers", and "adults".[10] Pinkies are newborn mice that have not yet grown fur; fuzzies have some fur but are not very mobile; hoppers have a full coat of hair and are fully mobile but are smaller than adult mice. Mice without fur are easier for the animal to consume; however, mice with fur may be more convincing as animal feed. These terms are also used to refer to the various growth stages of rats (see Fancy rat).
Israeli scientists have tested mice as a new form of airport security detector. It consists of three concealed cartridges, each containing eight specially trained mice. If they sense traces of explosives or drugs, they will trigger the alarm. According to the New Scientist, the mice work four-hour shifts and are more accurate than using dogs or x-ray machines.[11]
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - mus
v. intr. - tage/jage mus, snuse rundt, opsnuse
idioms:
Nederlands (Dutch)
muis, bangerik, touwverdikking, muizen vangen, speuren
Français (French)
n. - (lit, fig, Comput) souris
v. intr. - chasser les souris (les chats)
idioms:
Deutsch (German)
n. - Maus
v. - mausen
idioms:
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ζωολ.) ποντικός, (Η/Υ) ιχνοθέτης, "ποντίκι", (μτφ.) ανθρωπάριο
v. - κυνηγώ ποντίκια, (μτφ.) ψάχνω ολόγυρα
idioms:
Italiano (Italian)
topo, mouse
Português (Portuguese)
n. - camundongo (m) (Zool.), moça (f) (tratamento carinhoso)
v. - caçar
Русский (Russian)
мышь, подбитый глаз, ловить мышей
Español (Spanish)
n. - ratón, pequeño instrumento operado manualmente que controla el cursor en la pantalla de la computadora
v. intr. - operar el ratón de una computadora
idioms:
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - mus, råtta, stagkunta (sjö.), blåtira, tjej
v. - fånga möss, snoka, musa
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
老鼠, 鼠标器, 胆小羞怯的人, 捕鼠, 慢慢地走动, 偷偷地搜寻
idioms:
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 老鼠, 滑鼠, 膽小羞怯的人
v. intr. - 捕鼠, 慢慢地走動, 偷偷地搜尋
idioms:
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 쥐, 귀여운 아이, 겁쟁이
v. intr. - 쥐를 잡다, 배회하다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ハツカネズミ, おく病者, かわいい子
v. - ネズミを捕る, あさり歩く
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) فأر (فعل) يصطاد الفئران
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - עכבר, פחדן, ביישן, עכבר (מחשב)
v. intr. - צד עכברים, חיפש