What size are mice? Types and design of computer mice

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

There are various types of mice in nature. 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 types of mice are there? Why are rodents dangerous to people? What mice can be kept as pets? The article provides descriptions and photographs of representatives of the mouse family, information about their characteristics and lifestyle.

Features of representatives of the mouse order

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 is gray, reddish, brown or black. In nature, there are also white albinos with red eyes.

Mice are very fertile. The female carries the cubs for 25 days and produces up to five litters per year. Each litter contains 8-12 small mice. The mouse feeds its young with milk for about three weeks. After 20 days, their incisors form and they begin to feed on their own. 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 fit into the narrowest crevices. In addition, the animal quickly adapts to any living conditions and can go without water for a long time. All this makes mice very tenacious.

The presence of thin whiskers helps the animals to navigate the area. Rodents have two pairs of constantly growing sharp incisors. If their size reaches 2 cm, the rodents may die, so they need to chew something, grinding down 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.

Rodent lifestyle and nutrition

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 of up to 13 km per hour. They usually run along certain routes. Their routes of movement can be determined by the droppings they leave behind.

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

In nature, animals make nests from grass, settle in holes or hollows of trees, stocking up on food for the winter. Once indoors, they settle under the floor, between the walls, and in 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, chew candles, soap, plastic items, and paper. These animals are capable of causing serious damage to humans.

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

• typhus;
• intestinal infections;
• Bubonic plague;
• Lentospirosis;
• salmonellosis;
• sodocosis;
• rabies;
• tularimia.

Scientists have not ruled out the possibility that mice can transmit breast cancer. Diseases can be transmitted through food contaminated by rodents, water, bites, or air in a room heavily contaminated with rodent waste.

Description of wild mouse species with photos

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

Wood 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 long-eared animal moves very quickly and can climb high into trees.

The rodent settles in tree hollows, under roots and fallen trees. The wood mouse overwinters in burrows that are up to 2 meters deep. Minks have several chambers for food supplies, a nesting compartment and 2-3 exits.

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

The animal reproduces 2-3 times a year, bringing 5-8 cubs. The number of animals depends on the harvest of food and climatic conditions.

House mouse

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

In the spring, house mice move outdoors, and with the onset of cold weather they return indoors. In homes, animals cause a lot of inconvenience: they chew furniture, wiring, walls, and spoil food.

Field mouse

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

Voles are dark or tan in color with darker stripes and have a white belly and paws. Their size reaches 7-12 cm. The tail of the animals is relatively small. They go out for food mainly at night, since during the day they risk becoming victims of numerous predators, for example the common snake. They feed on plant foods and small insects. These mice are very fertile and tenacious.

Gerbil mouse

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

Sand mice are often kept as ornamental pets. They have a red color with a black stripe and a white belly. Some animals have a fluffy brush at the end of their tail.

Yellow-necked mouse

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

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

Grass mice

Grass mice live in Africa. These rodents are the largest among their relatives. Their size reaches 35 cm along with the length of the tail. Weight can be more than 100 g. The color of the animals has grayish or brownish shades with dark splashes. The animals nest in burrows or bushes. They can live in rooms and houses. Grass mice live in large colonies. They feed on vegetation. They 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 type of coat and color. The fur of a domestic ornamental animal can be curly, long, or satin. Even hairless mice have been bred that have no hair at all.

The animals can be painted in the standard mouse color, or in blue, silver, red and other shades. Mice with Siamese, sable or chinchilla colors are in demand. Depending on the characteristics, the coloring is:

At home, small decorative mice are kept in cages with small cells or glass terrariums. They create a living corner in which feeders, drinking bowls, and items for games are placed. They are not picky about food. This could be cereals, grains, herbs, vegetables, dairy products or special feed purchased in specialized stores. To grind down their incisors, the animals are given stale bread crusts and tree branches.

Most often, white mice are kept in homes. 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.

It is generally accepted that a laser mouse sensor is better than an optical one, but in reality it all depends on the tasks performed on the computer. If absolutely precise positioning is required from the mouse at any speed of its movement, then optical mice have advantages. For this reason, optical mice are best suited for professional gamers, designers and photographers. Typically, optical manipulators are grouped together as gaming mice, since gamers are their main buyers. If you require versatility from a mouse, that is, work on any surface and fairly high accuracy, then devices with laser sensors, popular among novice gamers, office workers, and those who travel a lot with a laptop, are preferable.

Average quality gaming sensors

Pixart Avago ADNS9800
Pixart Avago ADNS9500
Pixart Avago A3090
Pixart Avago A3059
Pixart Avago AM010
Pixart Avago PMW3320
Pixart Avago ADNS-3095
Pixart Avago ADNS-3888

Professional gaming sensors

Pixart Avago PMW3310
Logitech Mercury
Pixart Avago S3988
Pixart Avago PMW3366
Pixart Avago PMW3360
Pixart Avago PMW3389

Let's try to explain the above. The heart of any computer mouse is the sensor, which is responsible for recording the mouse’s movements on the surface. When operating systems with graphical interfaces appeared, the most common way to record the movements of ball mice used at that time was an optical-mechanical sensor. Due to low accuracy, demands on the working surface and the need for very frequent cleaning, such mice have become a thing of history, giving way to modern optical and laser sensors. Strictly speaking, the division into optical and laser mice is quite arbitrary. The operating principle of optical and laser mice is the same, the difference lies in the type of light source. For optical mice this is a regular LED, and for laser mice it is an infrared laser. In the future, if clarification is not required, we will use the terms “optical mouse” and “optical sensor”.

So what is an optical sensor? The answer to this question is simple - it is a light source, a miniature video camera and a special chip that records the direction and speed of the mouse moving across the table surface. The registration process is as follows:

1. The light source, located at an acute angle relative to the underside of the mouse, creates shadows in areas of micro-roughness found on almost any surface, increasing the contrast of the image.
2. Miniature camera takes pictures of the work surface at a very high frequency (10 kHz or higher)
3. The microcircuit sequentially, frame by frame, analyzes the received images and converts them into changes in cursor coordinates.

Due to the lower cost of red LEDs and the greater sensitivity of silicon photodetectors to red color, almost all inexpensive optical mice use a red LED as a light source. More advanced models can use LEDs of other colors, including those emitting light in a spectrum invisible to the human eye.

As mentioned above, laser mice use an infrared laser diode as a light source. Due to the coherence of laser radiation, focusing on the working surface is much more accurate and this mouse requires much smaller surface micro-irregularities to operate than is necessary for an optical mouse. For this reason, a laser mouse is better suited for everyday use, since it works absolutely equally well on a fabric mat or on a glass surface.

When it comes to computer games, the accuracy of laser sensors becomes excessive. The problem is that laser computer mice collect useless information, so when you move the mouse slowly, the cursor appears to jitter. Tracking errors are caused by redundant data being sent to the computer. Despite the fact that engineers are struggling with this feature of laser sensors, and not without success, laser mice still cannot boast of ideal positioning accuracy in games. For this reason, professional eSports players often choose optical mice with the most advanced sensors.

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

Among them, people's favorites are hamsters, 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 houses without their permission, voles and ordinary mice.

The latter are especially disliked by people, since they often destroy winter supplies and are considered dangerous carriers of diseases.

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

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, primarily with this representative of rodents.

What are the external features of the mouse?

Nowadays, many photos of mice are taken, and they are easy to find on the Internet. Due to this, it is possible to accurately determine what species a mouse that appears on human territory belongs to.

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

Mice are brown, sometimes brown, and gray ones are common. Scientists have discovered mice that have stripes running down their backs.

However, there are two unique species that have spines that replace fur. We are talking about Elliott the mouse and the so-called spiny species. The fur of these strange creatures is replaced by needles similar to thorns, like those of a cactus.

What are the features of a pin mouse?

The types of mice are very diverse, however, this mouse stands out noticeably among them because, in addition to its unique coating, it has almost no neck, and its paws, although 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 tones. To do this, they use ears that are rounded in shape.

On the small pointed muzzle you can notice the presence of antennae called vibrissae. Thanks 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 stems growing in meadows. And also for this they use reeds or small branches of bushes.

Among them, the smallest individual was identified; it was named “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 to live, however, some species have good skills in moving along vertical surfaces.

Where do mice live and how can humans meet them? Usually, people most often encounter 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 have couples and usually live alone.

However, a subspecies of the house mouse, called the Kurganchik mouse, likes to start a family of up to 20 individuals living in a common burrow. They create common reserves for wintering and build nests necessary for life.

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

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, which creates protection for them from frost. Usually their reserves are not enough for wintering and mice have to look for food even under the snow.

Trying to answer the question of what mice eat, it is necessary to immediately identify their favorite food in the form of seeds and various plant fruits.

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

However, mice that prefer to live near various sources of water mostly feed on lush greens, various root vegetables and even insects. And wood mice use nuts and discovered seeds from deciduous tree species for food.

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

Photo of a mouse

Mice- These are small animals that have lived alongside people since ancient times.

Despite the fact that a person does not tolerate such proximity and tries get rid of mice, the latter, nevertheless, it is thanks to people that they feel excellent.

Judge for yourself: these rodents today are one of the most numerous species of animals living on our planet. In this article you will learn what a mouse is.

Description and characteristics of animals

The smallest mice have a body length of 5 cm, and the biggest ones can grow up to 19 cm.

Body size and coat color depend on what species a particular rodent belongs to.

Mice have a short neck, which is crowned by a spindle-shaped head. The muzzle is pointed, with a pair of semicircular ears and two beady black eyes.

These organs, although small, allow the animal to see and hear everything perfectly.

For orientation in space, nature has endowed rodents with thin, sensitive antennae. They grow around the nose and act as detectors.

The mouse's paws are small, but they have five dexterous and tenacious fingers. The body is elongated and covered with short fur. The tail is practically devoid of hair, but has a covering of keratinized scales.

The coat color of mice is usually gray, but there are species of these animals with variegated colors. There are also white mice.

The greatest These rodents are active at night and in the evening.

The mouse family is very large. Scientists count 4 subfamilies and 147 genera. And there are even more species - 701 . But the most common species are those that have coexisted with humans for thousands of years. These include:

• Field mouse or vole. This rodent is medium in size by mouse standards. The length of its body can reach 12.5 cm. The fur on the back of the rodent is predominantly gray. In some individuals it may have a slight yellowish-brown tint and a dark longitudinal stripe. The fur on the belly is also gray, but of a lighter shade. Voles live in meadows, bushes, gardens and parks. They live in burrows and bushes. In the latter case, they independently build nests between the branches. The diet of voles includes berries, grains, green parts of plants and insects. People have been trying for a long time and unsuccessfully to reduce the number of this species of mice.
• Yellow-necked mouse. The coat of this rodent on the back is reddish-gray in color, and on the abdomen and neck it has a yellowish tint. The body length does not exceed 13 cm. Moreover, the length of the tail is almost equal to the length of the body. This mouse weighs approximately 50 g. The yellow-throated mouse prefers to settle in rocky areas, on the edges of forests and in burrows. They are able to feed on both plants and bugs and worms. If necessary, they can eat meat. These rodents pose a serious threat to fruit tree orchards.
• grass mouse. This is a very large rodent by mouse standards. The length of its body can reach 19 cm. Add here the length of the tail and you get a total length of 35 cm. Individual representatives of grass mice can weigh up to 100 g. The fur on their back is dark gray. It is not uniform, but has interspersed individual stiff and darker bristles. The fur on the belly is uniform and has a light gray tint. This rodent is most common in African countries. It feeds mainly on plants and grains.
• Little mouse. These are one of the smallest representatives of the mouse kingdom. The body length of an adult does not exceed 7 cm. Such a baby weighs no more than 10 g. The fur on its sides and back is reddish-brown, and on its tummy it is almost white. Unlike larger mice, the little mouse's muzzle is short and blunt. The ears are small and almost round. You can meet this animal in forests, steppes and meadows. This rodent loves to settle in haystacks and dig holes near human habitation, because food can always be found there. The diet of baby mice is based on cereals and small insects. People consider these rodents to be one of the main pests in agriculture.
• House mouse. Without exaggeration, this type of rodent can be called the most widespread on our planet. The body of an adult can reach a length of 9.5 cm. The weight does not exceed 30 g. The fur on the sides and back is gray. On the belly, its color can range from light gray to white. The rodent's muzzle is pointed. This type of mouse can be found in almost all human outbuildings. Rodents chew everything they can get their hands on.
• Striped mouse. This rodent has an average body size of 10 cm. The fur is predominantly gray. May have stripes of lighter shades. This type of rodent is often kept as pets. Moreover, in natural conditions they live no longer than 7 months, and in captivity their life span increases several times. This rodent prefers to eat grass and small insects.
• Spiny mouse. This rodent is found quite often. You can recognize him by his huge eyes and ears like mugs. Instead of the usual fur, very small needles grow on the sides and back of this mouse. This rodent has amazing regeneration abilities and uses them in encounters with enemies: it sheds part of its skin and runs away. Such animals are often kept at home as pets.

We should tell you more about this type of mouse. Such animals are kept by people as pets and as test subjects in laboratory research. Thanks to these little creatures with squirrel fur and red eyes, people were able to overcome many dangerous diseases and create many amazing medicines.

It is worth noting that white rodents have been known for a very long time. The first mentions of them in human chronicles date back to the 3rd millennium BC. However, this information does not stop “passionate” people who insist on every corner that white rodents are the result of secret experiments by scientists from closed laboratories.

In ancient times, white mice could be found in monasteries and countries. There these rodents were considered sacred. By the way, many eastern peoples named the first month of the year in honor of them.

In Japan they still believe that if there is a white mouse in the house, then other rodents will avoid it. And in China, such animals were used for predictions.

In Europe, white mice began to be bred en masse at the end of the century before last. They were bred for experiments. To this day, these rodents are the most valuable laboratory material for conducting various scientific experiments.

The average lifespan of such rodents does not exceed 3 years, but during this time they can produce a lot of offspring. In favorable conditions, they are able to reproduce year-round. Typically the breeding season begins in mid-spring and ends in November. Pregnancy lasts no more than 21 days. Up to 7 mice can be born at one time.

Literally 12 hours after giving birth, the female is again ready to conceive. During the year there can be up to 14 offspring.

That is, one female can give birth to an entire army of rodents in 12 months. It is not surprising that humans still cannot cope with the mouse family.

The female feeds the offspring with milk for 4 weeks, after which the pups begin to live an independent life.

After just 2 months, these babies will be ready to bear new offspring themselves.

As mentioned above, rodents of various species are often kept as pets. Such maintenance does not cause much trouble, since mice eat everything and do not require large areas for keeping them. easy to train. After the rodent gets used to the person, he willingly goes into his arms. However, you shouldn’t let him out of the cage. If he takes it into his head to “run away,” it will be very difficult to catch him.

A little about the mouse cage.

• It should be metal and have pull-out trays.
• The spacing of the rods should be small, otherwise the animal will certainly leave its home.
• The cage should not be placed near heating devices.

A cage with an area of ​​300 cm2 will be enough for one pet.

Sometimes you can find people who keep mice in aquariums and glass jars. This is a dubious decision, since the pet will not have enough air. In addition, an aquarium or a jar is much more difficult to clean than a cage.

The following items should be added to the cage:

• A piece of chalk and some branches. The mouse will sharpen its teeth on them. In addition, chalk will help him replenish the lack of minerals in the body.
• Litter. It is easiest to make from paper and sawdust. If you add hay, your pet will definitely make a nest out of it.
• A running wheel to keep your pet from getting bored.

The pet's diet must be balanced. There should be at least 50 g of food per rodent per day. A pet's diet may consist of the following products:

• Grains: oats, wheat, rice, etc.
• The best vegetables to give are carrots and lettuce.
• Cottage cheese.
• Green grass. It is recommended to regularly throw it into the cage.
• Fruits: pears and apples.
• Sunflower seeds. This is a treat for mice. But you can’t give seeds often.
• Vitamin supplements.
• Raw meat no more than once a week.

It is forbidden to feed these pets sweets, spicy and fried foods.

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 yellow spot). 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 enormous damage to 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. The skin is quickly restored without damage to the individual. The spiny mouse lives in Asian countries and is found in Cyprus and Africa. Its diet relies on plant foods; this animal is often kept as a 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 build nests from grass stems, occupy abandoned burrows, or dig complex systems of 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 swampy 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 homes, these animals happily gnaw on potatoes, sausage, baked goods, 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 “Food for mice”, 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 test animals for 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 the 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.