Mouse with a long tail. Main characteristics of a computer mouse

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.

Types of mice

About 300 of the 400 species in the family belong to the mouse subfamily. The greatest diversity of species can be found in Africa and Tropical Asia, to a lesser extent in temperate and northern Eurasia and Australia.

Not without human help, representatives of the synanthropic species – house mice – have spread across the globe. The most common genera are the following.

African mice (Thamnomys). This genus includes about 5 species, united by a similar appearance. The body length of these animals is about 10–14 cm, and the well-furred tail with a tassel of elongated hair at the end is 14–20 cm. Representatives of the genus of African mice have chestnut or reddish-brown fur on the upper side and white on the lower side. These animals live naturally in Africa, distributed from Ghana to Western Uganda. They also live in mountainous areas at altitudes of up to 4000 m above sea level and in humid equatorial forests.

They prefer to settle in trees, in nests or hollows. African mice feed on plant products - leaves and fruits. They are active only at night. They reproduce almost throughout the year.

Grass mice (Arvicanthis) distributed in large numbers in Africa, especially in Eastern Africa, inhabit savannas, forests, and bushes. These are quite large animals: the body reaches a length of 19 cm, the tail is 16 cm. Grass mice weigh about 100 g. Some species have fur with real thin needles. The rest have long fur, with individual spiky bristles, grayish-brown in color, lighter in the lower part. These animals live in burrows or empty termite mounds, and can also occupy human habitation. They feed on a wide variety of plant foods and often harm grain reserves and crops. Grass mice tend to form colonial settlements. The rhythm of daily activity extends to day and night. They can live in captivity for about 8 years. Under natural conditions, they reproduce throughout the year, but the peak of sexual activity occurs at the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry season.

House mice

Approximately 6 types motley mice (Lemniscomys) They live in Africa, mainly in tall grass savannas and on the edges of forests. These animals reach a length of 14 cm, and their tail is 16 cm. They have a striped color: the back and sides are dark with intermittent light stripes. The animals mostly settle in other people's burrows, although they can easily build their own. They feed on soft seeds, roots and fruits, and sometimes insects. Active during the day.

Wirehaired mice (Lophuromys). 10 species of this genus are most widely distributed throughout Africa, from Ethiopia to Angola. They live in thickets of bushes, reeds and grasses, swamps, fields and forests. Animals with a body length of up to 14.5 cm and a tail of up to 11.5 cm come in different colors: dark, olive, brown or motley, with individual whitish, yellowish or orange streaks located on a dark background. There are species with orange or dull orange fur at the base of the hair, which is characteristic of almost all African inhabitants. Wirehaired mice usually make their nests in burrows, dense vegetation, or under logs and dead wood. These animals feed not only on root vegetables and fruits, but also on insects, as well as toads, lizards and some invertebrate animals. Such mice are active at any time of the day.

Striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) is a representative of a monotypic genus, that is, including a single species. This animal is distinguished by alternating brown and yellowish stripes on its back. The striped mouse reaches a length of 11 cm, its tail with sparse bristly hairs is approximately the same length. This animal lives on the edges of forests, near crops, in tall grass among bushes and along the beds of dry reservoirs, digs holes or makes nests in thick grass or among roots. Stays awake during the day.

Spine mouse (Acomys wilsoni) differs in that its tail is very thin and fragile, so it is easily lost in critical situations. This animal with large erect ears reaches a length of 12 cm. The tail is bare, scaly, with spines and coarse coarse hair, also about 12 cm long. The animal is found in Iran, Pakistan, Arabia and Africa, where it settles in savannas and semi-deserts. Lives in burrows, termite mounds or among stone deposits. The spiny mouse is omnivorous, but prefers to eat plant foods.

Breeds from February to September. After 42 days of pregnancy, the female gives birth to 1–3 cubs weighing 5–6 g each. Mice are born with their eyes open and feed on their mother's milk for two weeks, after which they independently obtain plant food.

Elliot's mouse (Golunda ellioti) found naturally in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and on the island of Sri Lanka. In appearance it resembles a large forest vole of the genus Clethrionomys. Among the thick soft fur on the back are hard, prickly bristles. The upper incisors are grooved.

Animals of this genus live on coffee plantations, in weeds along the edges of fields, on grassy plains and swampy places, in nests built from plant fibers. The nest has the shape of a ball with a diameter of 15–20 cm.

Musk mouse

These rodents prefer to live in family groups. The female usually gives birth to 3–4 cubs several times a year.

Elliot's mouse forages for food on the ground and in trees, where it can move deftly. The diet consists only of plant foods. In Sri Lanka, rodents cause great damage to coffee plantations by eating buds and flowers on coffee trees.

Soft-haired mice (Billardia) found in India, Pakistan and Burma, as well as on the island of Sri Lanka. These animals inhabit fields, mountain slopes and swampy places, making small simple holes for themselves or hiding in voids under stones and in other people's holes. The body length of the animals reaches 16 cm, the tail – 15 cm. The color of the coat is gray. Soft-haired mice feed on grains of field crops and marsh plants.

Best suited for keeping at home baby mice (Micromys minutus). The length of their body barely reaches 7 cm, the tail – 5–7 cm. Under natural conditions, they are found in the territory from the Iberian Peninsula to the Pacific Ocean. They live in the forest-steppe zone, often living in fields with grain crops, among floodplain bushes. In the summer, they make spherical nests from plant fibers, placing them among grass stems, and in the winter they move into burrows.

Little mouse

The baby mouse is brighter and more varied in color than other species. In young individuals, the coat color is dull and brownish. After the first molt, the animals acquire a bright red color. The underside of the coat is pure white. This graceful and cute animal easily gets used to new living conditions, while behaving calmly and peacefully. Rodents of this species require a spacious cage so that they can move and climb freely. The diet of baby mice should include insects and other invertebrates, as well as fresh greens and grain feed. The animal is unpretentious in food and can live in small terrariums.

Asian mice (Sylvaemus major) are divided into island and mainland-Sakhalin. The distribution area is quite large - from Altai to the west to Southern China, Burma, Indochina and Central Yakutia. Representatives of this genus settle in lowland, floodplain and foothill deciduous and mixed forests, making burrows equipped with 2–3 feeding chambers and one nesting chamber. These are quite large animals. The length of their body reaches 12 cm, the tail is approximately 11 cm. The Asian mouse is active at dusk and at night.

Asia Minor mouse (Sylvaemus mystacinus)– the largest representative of the genus Sylvaemus. The color is smoky gray on the back, with a complete absence of red tones. The abdomen is white.

The body length is about 13 cm, and the tail is up to 14 cm. The ears are large, protruding from the fur, the muzzle is elongated, with large bulging eyes.

The Asia Minor mouse lives in the southwest of Georgia, in Asia Minor and Western Asia, up to Iraq. This is a mountain species, distributed at altitudes up to 1300–1400 m above sea level. Prefers to settle in deciduous or deciduous-coniferous forests, as well as bushes mixed with vines, wild grapes and herbaceous plants. He especially loves boxwood thickets. It can live in scattered stones, ruins of buildings, in artificial fences and bushes on the outskirts of fields. Rodents of this species do not dig holes, making nests in hollows of trees, voids under roots and stones.

It is most active at dusk and at night. The breeding season occurs in the warm season. The female brings up to 6 cubs.

Asia Minor mouse

Field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) quite common in the forest-meadow zone from Western Europe to the Pacific Ocean. This is one of the few types that rarely live in buildings. Most often it takes refuge in its own or other people's burrows. The body length of this animal reaches 12 cm, the tail - 9 cm. The color of the fur is reddish-brown on the sides, in the middle of the back there is a clearly demarcated black stripe from the back of the head to the base of the tail. The field mouse feeds on plant foods and insects.

Representatives of the genus wood mice (Sylvaemus sylvaticus) They settle in natural shelters, their own or other people’s burrows in river floodplains, among meadow shrubs. Their distribution area extends from the deserts of Western, Minor, Central Asia and North America to the Western Siberian taiga and European forest-tundra, as well as from the Atlantic Ocean to Northern Pakistan, Altai and Tien Shan. These animals are distinguished by large feet, body and tail lengths up to 11 cm. Some individuals have a yellow or buffy spot on the chest. Wood mice feed mostly on grain feed, and sometimes on insects.

Lesser wood mouse (Apodemus uralensis) lives in Europe, the Caucasus, Altai, and southern Western Siberia.

The body length of this animal reaches 7–10 cm, the tail is the same length.

Prefers to settle in deciduous forests and floodplains. It climbs trees well, so it usually makes nests in hollows, among branches, and can occupy birdhouses.

In winter, the small wood mouse builds holes between the roots of trees.

Wood mouse

It feeds on grains, fruits of various plants, and insects. Usually stores for the winter. This species of mouse is primarily nocturnal.

Talysh mouse (Sylvaemus hyrcanicus) is a poorly studied species, described only in 1992. Previously, it was considered as a special form of the wood mouse. The animal has a dark chestnut color on the back, a light belly, and a two-color tail. There is a pale yellow oval-shaped spot on the chest.

A fairly large mouse, body length 10–11 cm, tail length 9–12 cm. A characteristic feature of this species are very small incisive openings up to 5.1 mm long and no more than 2 mm wide.

The Talysh mouse lives in the moist deciduous forests of Northern Iran. The animal's lifestyle has not yet been sufficiently studied. Scientists suggest that it is similar to the lifestyle of the yellow-throated and Pontine mice.

Mountain mouse (Mus montis) is the largest species of mice common in Russia. The species lives in natural shelters among stones and dead wood in the mountainous regions of Asia Minor and Western Asia and the Balkans. The body length reaches 13 cm, and the tail – 14 cm. The animal is colored grayish-brown and looks like a small rat. It feeds on insects and seeds.

mountain mouse

Yellow-necked mouse (Sylvaemus flavicollis) found naturally in Western Europe and in a significant part of Russia. The body length of this animal reaches 13.5 cm, the tail is 13 cm. On the chest between the front legs there is an ocher spot, which can be of different sizes and shapes. The yellow-throated mouse does not get along with representatives of the genus of wood mice.

House mouse (Mus musculus) is perhaps the smallest representative of this family, not counting the tiny mouse. The length of its body reaches 10 cm, the tail is covered with sparse short hairs and horny scales, arranged in a ring shape, and makes up from 50 to 100% of the body length. Desert house mice have a light, yellowish-sandy coat color with a pure white underside. Northern forms have gray fur on the sides and light gray fur on the undersides. Domesticated forms are white. The distribution area occupies almost the entire globe. The homeland, most likely, was oases in the deserts of Western Asia and North Africa. House mice living in the steppe zone and in the northern semi-desert form mixed colonies and create complex collective burrows, in which there is a special toilet chamber and a large common nesting chamber. Mice of this type make winter reserves from panicles, large seeds and ears of corn, which are piled up near the hole on the surface of the ground.

Most similar in its lifestyle to the house mouse Cairo mouse (Acomys cahirinus). It is common in Egypt and lives in buildings next to people.

Monkey mouse(Hapalomys longi-caudatus) is similar in size to the forest one, its tail is very long. The fur color is brownish. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. It lives in tropical rainforests of Indonesia, Thailand and surrounding areas. It feeds on various fruits and tree seeds. It settles on trees and bushes, making nests in hollows.

Long-tailed mouse(Vandeleuria oleracea) has a body length of 6–8 cm, a tail 10–13 cm long, well pubescent. The first and fifth fingers have flat nails instead of regular claws. Lives exclusively in trees. During the day it hides in a nest, which it makes in hollows or thickets of branches. The long-tailed mouse is nocturnal, feeds on fruits and seeds, in search of which it moves quite quickly along the branches. Uses its tail for balance and can wrap it around branches.

Breeds throughout the year. In one litter, the female usually brings 3–6 cubs.

Long-tailed mice are common in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, southern India and Sri Lanka. These small rodents adapt well to life in captivity.

Genus Australian mice (Gyomys) has 8 species. They inhabit the entire Australian continent, with the exception of its northern part. The body length is 7–13 cm, and the tail is 6–14 cm. These mice come in a wide variety of colors: olive, sandy and ash. The belly is lighter than the back, often white.

Australian mice live in tall grass and eucalyptus forests, in the mountains and on sandy plains. Those species that settle on sand dig deep burrows. The diet consists mainly of insects, with a small amount of seeds and greens. Breeds in November-December. The female gives birth to 3–5 cubs.

Genus banana mice (Melomys) includes 12 types. They are distributed in New Guinea and nearby islands, northern Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. The body length of these rodents is 9–18 cm, the tail is long, from 11 to 18 cm. The fur is soft, long, and has a brownish or reddish color. The color underneath is lighter – white or cream. The tail is bare, scaly, with one hair on each scale.

The banana mouse lives in meadows, swamps, sugar cane plantations, in thickets of grasses and shrubs, near rivers and lakes. Climbs well using its tail.

It builds a spherical nest with a diameter of 12–20 cm from grass, which is located in bushes, tree crowns or in dense grass. Sometimes it digs a hole with one entrance. Breeds during the rainy season (usually from November to March).

An interesting feature of this species is that newborn cubs cling to their mother, who carries them with her on her stomach between the nipples for up to two weeks. After this period, the young can move and feed independently, but at the slightest alarm they hide on the mother’s stomach. The diet of banana mice is based on fruits, berries, and nuts.

Kangaroo mice(Notomys) resemble jerboas in appearance. These are rodents large enough for mice. The body length reaches 9–18 cm, the tail – 12–26 cm, with a small brush at the end. The color is sandy, ash or brown on the back, the belly is white. Kangaroo mice have very large ears and eyes. The hind legs are much longer than the front ones. Rodents move on four legs, but when stopping they rely only on their hind limbs. There are 10 known species of this genus, living in most of Australia: in deserts, steppes, bush thickets and light dry forests.

Decorative mouse

They are active at night. During the day they hide in nests that they make in burrows. The female brings 2–5 cubs.

Marsupial rodents of the genus Antechinomys They are very similar to kangaroo mice and lead a similar lifestyle. They settle in the same places, sometimes occupying the same burrow system. They feed on green grasses, seeds and berries.

The subfamily of mice also includes some species of rats, for example, rusty-nosed, shaggy, brook, acacia, swamp, pouched, triangular-tailed, hamster, gray, black and Turkestan.

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