What does a white mouse look like? A domestic mouse, a small animal is a great joy. mice and man

Among all animals on Earth, the group of rodents is one of the most numerous. It includes hamsters, rats, voles and - an animal mouse.

There are almost 400 species of mice in the order of rodents. All of them have a similar appearance and lead almost the same lifestyle.

What mice look like

The body size of the mouse is so small - up to 10 cm, that you want to affectionately call it a mouse. Moreover, half of this value is occupied by a thin, long tail. It is almost naked, only occasionally there are hairs. But the body is all covered with wool of the same color: either brown, or brown, or gray. There are mice with stripes on their backs. In two species - the Elliot mouse and the needle mouse, instead of wool on the back of the needle-thorn.

The neck is inconspicuous, the legs are short, with fingers that mice deftly cling to any surface.

Mice hear perfectly with their round ears. A small sharp muzzle is crowned with antennae - vibrissae. This is a very sensitive organ that helps mice stay oriented even in pitch darkness. These rodents do not have cheek pouches.

The smallest is considered to be a mouse, which is called so - a baby, because its size is only 5 cm.

Mouse lifestyle

There is no place on Earth where mice do not live. They have adapted to the conditions of life in all natural zones.

Only near human habitation does the Cairo and house mouse live. All species live on the ground, although thanks to their tenacious paws they can climb up the grass stalk, and along the branches of shrubs, and along the wall of buildings.

Mice living near water bodies are good swimmers. Mice prefer to live alone. Only one of the species of the house mouse - the mound-shaped form - live 20 individuals of different ages in one hole. Together they stock up for the winter and make nests.

They usually live in one, permanent place. Only in case of natural disasters they move to another area for a short distance.

Different burrows are built - from very simple to complex, with numerous passages. Kangaroo mice are so named because they occupy other people's holes - rat kangaroos.

Mice don't sleep in winter. They are active mainly at night, as they are cautious and shy. They come out of the holes during the day, but only in the case when hunger drives them - to look for food.

What do mice eat

In winter, mice are not visible, but even under the snow they look for food. The stocks that these animals make in summer and autumn are not enough.

Their main food is the seeds and fruits of almost any plant. Field, meadow and steppe mice eat a lot of grains of cereals, which cause great damage to the crop.

Rodents living near water bodies love to eat juicy greens, root crops and insects. Wood mice eat nuts and seeds from deciduous trees.

In general, mice are unpretentious and can easily switch to human food. Mice climb into pantries, sheds and spoil grain, cheeses and many other products, even gnaw on sausage and dried fish.

Mice are unusually prolific and bring offspring 3-4 times a year. Brownies are generally capable of breeding up to 6 times.

And if we take into account that there are up to 10 mice in one offspring, and they become sexually mature as early as 2–3 months, then one can imagine how many offspring one female gives.

Are mice harmful or helpful?

Of course, mice also damage agriculture and spoil food in dwellings. In winter, the bark of many fruit trees is damaged.

Rodents are carriers of infectious diseases, in particular, tularemia.

At the same time, it is on mice that various drugs, cosmetics and food products are tested.

White mice, striped and baby mice are kept as pets. They are unpretentious, breed well and bring a lot of joy to their owners with their behavior.

Today in the world there are more than three hundred different types of rodent mice, and their subspecies are 5 times more. In general, they differ among themselves in their habitat, appearance and body structure, but their way of life is practically the same. We will tell you in more detail about what types of mice usually inhabit houses, and about the characteristic features that a baby mouse, wood mouse, and other varieties have.

Few people have not seen mice with their own eyes. Most species have a similar body structure. These are mostly small rodents, completely covered with hair. Prominent muzzle with front incisors, with which the animal gnaws food and other objects.

On average, the body length is about 6-7 centimeters.

Usually rodents settle near a person, since it is easier to find shelter from frost nearby, and there is always access to food. They live not only on farms where people grow grains and vegetables with fruits, but they are also able to occupy apartments. In the latter case, their population is much lower, as there is less available food. At home, a baby mouse, a gerbil can be found.

They settle in closets, under the floor, near the sanitary unit, pantries, cellars and basements. In these places they are quite difficult to find.

These are pack animals. If one individual gets into a place where there is access to a large amount of food, then after a while there will be a whole colony of rodents.

About Mice Breeding

On average, after birth, mice reach sexual maturity as early as 40 days. Rodents are the most prolific rodents in the world. On average, their gestation period is only 21 days and up to 6 small mice are born in one litter, which will reach maturity in a month.

Common types

At the moment, there are a huge number of varieties of rodents in the world, but we will dwell in more detail on the most common species that are most often found at home and in nature.

There are a lot of wild mice in the world that inhabit almost every corner of the globe.

Mouse baby

The smallest rodent in the world. The baby mouse does not dig holes in the ground, but creates nests from grass and twigs and other soft materials. They multiply very quickly. Most often found in England, Yakutia, the Caucasus and other northern territories. They tolerate cold climates well.

The baby mouse easily climbs high grass, using tenacious paws, and also successfully hides from predators, thanks to its size. The baby mouse does not hibernate, so it spends a lot of time looking for food, including in winter.

Forest mouse (forest mouse)

The wood mouse is larger than the baby mouse. The total body length can reach 10 centimeters, and the tail is almost the same length. Average weight - 20 grams, large protruding dark eyes on a pointed muzzle. The forest mouse has long ears. The ears of this species of rodent are among the largest among their counterparts. The wood mouse is usually brown in color, but some individuals may be yellowish or reddish. Red dull color changes over time, becoming brighter.

The wood mouse can live in the ground, hiding in burrows, but they also hide in trees at high altitude. They create shelter from the rain for themselves and supplies for the winter, as they do not hibernate. They settle near water bodies, as there is more vegetation and insects nearby that go to them as food. The baby mouse in winter is more active during the day, and in summer at night, as it is sensitive to sunlight and overheating.

Gerbil

This mouse was brought to the USA for laboratory research. However, soon gerbils were kept at home, now it is popular all over the world. They do not have an unpleasant odor, they practically do not need to be looked after, and are easily tamed.

There are several types of these mice: Mongolian gerbil, pygmy gerbil and others. It is advisable to keep them in pairs, as the established pair can last a lifetime. Gerbils easily dig earth and sand. Therefore, it is desirable that there is material for nests nearby.

steppe mouse

This rodent is able to settle in the middle lane, usually hiding underground, creating minks for itself. In the ground, she survives cold snaps well, hides from predators and saves blanks. They dig minks mainly on hills so that rain water does not flow into the tunnel system.

bank vole

The bank vole is most commonly found in Lapland, Turkey. This red mouse prefers to live in deciduous forests, settles near the edges, where sunlight easily penetrates. The bank vole for the winter can move closer to humans, settling in stacks of hay, barns or granaries. It does not hibernate, and is able to go out in search of food, both day and night.

black mouse

Subspecies of house rodent. Often settles in people's homes. It is not found worldwide, but mainly in dry warm climates.

It should also be noted that there are special varieties of rodents that people grow for specific purposes. For example, the white mouse is a special kind of rodent that is used for laboratory research.

Most of the experiments that are carried out by medical scientists and biochemists require living organisms that are as close as possible to the level of human susceptibility. This type is considered the most suitable. Also, white rodents are often used to coma other predatory animals.

Since this species was bred artificially, other varieties of rodents were obtained as a result of crossing, including decorative ones (for example, Japanese mice). The Japanese species is one of the smallest mice in the world. All over the world they are grown as decorative pets.

Video "Vole dragging mice"

Nutrition

It should be noted that mice are omnivores. They can eat both cereals with flour and meat. If famine sets in, they may even begin to eat paper, straw, and wood.

Of course, if rodents have the opportunity to move to places where there will be more provisions, they will do it, since no one likes to starve. The abundance of food is the most basic criterion by which a place is chosen for further residence and reproduction.

Wood mouse (wood mouse) or gerbils can eat plant roots, nuts, plant seeds, small insects. For the winter, the wood mouse is able to lay off supplies, since it is very difficult to find food during severe frosts. The forest mouse, like the gerbils, creates a shelter for itself underground, where they hide all year round from predators.

Harm from mice

Despite the small and harmless appearance of rodents, they are capable of causing enormous damage to crops, as well as being a danger to human health. Many predators prey on them, and the rodents themselves occupy the last places in the food chain. But this does not affect the decline in their population.

During the ripening of the crop in the fields, they are able to destroy a good part of it. These rodents are capable of harming stocks for the winter and planting material that the owners have postponed for the next year. They gnaw through bags of provisions, and are also able to bring infection there, which always affects the quality of the product.

Settling in a large colony, a baby mouse is able to quickly multiply in a short period of time, and destroy most of the reserves that a person has prepared. If signs of vital activity are not immediately detected, then there will be nothing to plant for the next season, and flour cannot be used for baking.

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

In nature, there are various types of mice. 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 are mice? Why are rodents dangerous to humans? What mice can be kept as pets? The article provides a description and photographs of representatives of the mouse family, information about their features and lifestyle.

Features of representatives of the order of mice

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 has a gray, reddish, brown or black color. In nature, white albinos with red eyes are also found.

Mice are very fertile. The female bears cubs for 25 days and brings up to five litters per year. There are 8-12 little mice in each litter. For about three weeks, the mouse feeds the cubs with milk. After 20 days, their incisors form and they begin to feed on their own. The 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 get into the narrowest gaps. In addition, the animal quickly adapts to any living conditions and can do without water for a long time. All this makes mice very tenacious.

The presence of a thin mustache helps the animals in orienting themselves on the ground. Rodents have two pairs of constantly growing sharp incisors. If their size reaches 2 cm, rodents may die, so they need to gnaw something, grinding 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.

Lifestyle and nutrition of rodents

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 up to 13 km per hour. Usually they run on certain routes. You can determine the path of their movement by the left litter.

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

In nature, the animals make nests from grass, settle in holes or hollows of trees, making stocks of food for the winter. Getting into the room, they settle under the floor, between the walls, in the 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, gnaw candles, soap, plastic items, paper. These animals are capable of inflicting serious damage to humans.

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

typhus;
intestinal infections;
Bubonic plague;
lentospirosis;
salmonellosis;
sodokoz;
rabies;
tularemia.

Scientists do not exclude the possibility of transmission of breast cancer by mice. Diseases can be transmitted through rodent-contaminated food, water, bites, and indoor air heavily polluted with rodent waste.

Description of the types of wild mice with a photo

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

forest 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 eared animal moves very quickly, can climb high into the trees.

The rodent settles in the hollows of trees, under the roots and fallen trees. The wood mouse hibernates in burrows, the depth of which is up to 2 meters. Minks have several chambers for food supplies, a nest compartment and 2-3 exits.

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

The beast breeds 2-3 times a year, bringing 5-8 cubs. The number of animals depends on the yield of feed and climatic conditions.

house mouse

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

In the spring, the house mouse moves to nature, and with the onset of cold weather, it returns to the premises. In houses, animals bring a lot of inconvenience: they gnaw on furniture, wiring, walls, and spoil food.

field mouse

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

Voles are dark or reddish in color with darker stripes and have a white belly and legs. Their size reaches 7-12 cm. The tail of the animals is relatively small. For food, they go out mainly at night, since during the day they risk becoming a victim of numerous predators, for example, an ordinary grass snake. They feed on plants and small insects. These mice are very prolific and tenacious.

Mouse gerbil

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

Sand mice are often kept as decorative pets. They have a red color with a black stripe and a white tummy. At the end of the tail, some animals have a fluffy tassel.

yellow-throated mouse

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

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

grass mice

Grass mice live in Africa. These rodents are the largest among relatives. Their size reaches 35 cm along with the length of the tail. Weight can be more than 100 g. The color of animals has grayish or brownish hues with dark patches. Animals nest in burrows or bushes. They can settle in rooms and houses. Grass mice live in large colonies. They feed on vegetation. 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 the type of wool and color. The coat of a domestic decorative animal can be curly, long, satin. Even naked mice have been bred, which do not have hair at all.

Animals can be painted both in a mouse standard color, and in blue, silver, red and other shades. Mice with Siamese color, sable or chinchilla color are in demand. Depending on the features, coloring happens:

At home, small decorative mice are kept in cages with small cells or glass terrariums. They create a living corner in which they place feeders, drinkers, items for games. They are unpretentious for food. These can be cereals, grains, greens, vegetables, dairy products, or special foods purchased in specialized stores. To grind the incisors, the animals are given stale bread crusts and tree branches.

Most often, houses contain white mice. 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

The subfamily of mice includes about 300 of the 400 species in the family. The greatest diversity of species can be found in Africa and Tropical Asia, to a lesser extent - in the temperate and northern parts of Eurasia and in Australia.

All over the globe, not without human help, representatives of the synanthropic species settled - house mice. The most common are the following genera.

African mice (Thamnomys). About 5 species belong to this genus, united by a similar appearance. The body length of these animals is about 10–14 cm, and a well-pubescent tail with a brush 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 in natural conditions in Africa, distributed from Ghana to Western Uganda. They also live in mountainous regions at an altitude 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. Activity is shown only in the dark. They breed almost throughout the year.

Grass Mice (Arvicanthis) distributed in large numbers in Africa, especially in Eastern Africa, they inhabit savannahs, forests, and shrubs. These are rather 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 of the fur is long, with separate spiny bristles, grayish-brown in color, lighter in the lower part. These animals settle in burrows or empty termite mounds, they can also occupy a human dwelling. They feed on a wide variety of plant foods, often damaging grain stocks 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 breed throughout the year, but the peak of sexual activity occurs at the end of the rainy and the beginning of the dry season.

house mice

Approximately 6 kinds Pied mice (Lemniscomys) live in Africa, mainly in tall grass savannahs 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 holes, although they may well build their own. They feed on soft seeds, root crops and fruits, sometimes insects. Active during the day.

Wirehair 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, in swamps, fields and forests. Animals with a body length up to 14.5 cm, and a tail up to 11.5 cm come in different colors: dark, olive, brown or variegated, with separate whitish, yellowish or orange streaks located on a dark background. There are species with an orange or dull orange base of the hair of the fur, which is inherent in almost all African inhabitants. Wirehair mice usually make their nests in burrows, dense vegetation, or under logs and deadwood. These animals feed not only on root crops and fruits, but also on insects, as well as toads, lizards and some invertebrates. Such mice are active at any time of the day.

Striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) is a member of a monotypic genus, that is, it includes a single species. This animal is distinguished by the alternation of brown and yellowish stripes on the back. The striped mouse reaches a length of 11 cm, its tail with sparse bristly hairs is about the same length. This animal lives on the edges of forests, near crops, in tall grass among shrubs and along the channels of dried-up reservoirs, digs holes or builds nests in thick grass or among roots. Awake during the day.

Spiny 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 naked, scaly, with spines and coarse hard hair, also about 12 cm long. The animal is found in Iran, Pakistan, Arabia and Africa, where it settles in savannahs and semi-deserts. Lives in burrows, termite mounds or among stone placers. The spiny mouse is omnivorous, but prefers to eat plant foods.

It breeds from February to September. The female after 42 days of pregnancy brings 1-3 cubs weighing 5-6 g each. Mice are born with open eyes and feed on mother's milk for two weeks, after which they independently obtain plant food.

Elliot's mouse (Golunda ellioti) occurs naturally in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and 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 in swampy places, in nests built from plant fibers. The nest is ball-shaped with a diameter of 15–20 cm.

Muscovy mouse

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

Elliot's mouse forages on the ground and in trees, which it can dexterously move around. 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 (Millardia) found in India, Pakistan and Burma, as well as on the island of Sri Lanka. These animals inhabit fields, mountain slopes and swampy places, arranging small simple holes for themselves or hiding in voids under stones and in other people's holes. The length of the body 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 home use baby mice (Micromys minutus). The length of their body barely reaches 7 cm, the tail - 5–7 cm. Under natural conditions, they are found on the territory from the Iberian Peninsula to the Pacific Ocean. They live in the forest-steppe zone, often live in fields with grain crops, among floodplain shrubs. In summer they arrange spherical nests from plant fibers, placing them among grass stems, and move to burrows for the winter.

baby mouse

The baby mouse is brighter and more diverse than other species. In young individuals, the coat color is dull, 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 freely and climb. The diet of baby mice should include insects and other invertebrates, as well as fresh greens and grain feed. In food, the animal is unpretentious, 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 South China, Burma, Indochina and Central Yakutia. Representatives of this genus settle in flat, floodplain and foothill deciduous and mixed forests, arranging burrows for themselves, 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 about 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 coloration is smoky gray on the back, with a complete absence of red tones. The belly 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 south-west of Georgia, in Asia Minor and Western Asia, up to Iraq. This is a mountain species, common at an altitude of up to 1300–1400 m above sea level. Prefers to settle in deciduous or deciduous-coniferous forests, as well as bushes mixed with lianas, wild grapes and herbaceous plants. Especially loves boxwood thickets. It can live in placers of stones, ruins of buildings, in artificial fences and bushes along the outskirts of fields. Rodents of this species do not dig holes, arranging nests in tree hollows, voids under roots and stones.

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

Asia Minor mouse

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

Representatives of the genus wood mice (Sylvaemus sylvaticus) settle in natural shelters, their own or other people's holes in river floodplains, among meadow bushes. The area of their distribution extends from the deserts of Western, Minor, Central Asia and North America to the West 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, sometimes on insects.

Lesser Wood Mouse (Apodemus uralensis) lives in Europe, in the Caucasus, Altai, south of 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 arranges nests in hollows, among branches, it can be occupied by birdhouses.

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

forest mouse

It feeds on cereals, fruits of various plants, and insects. Usually stocks up for the winter. The mouse of this species is mainly 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 bicolor tail. There is a pale yellow oval spot on the chest.

A fairly large mouse, body length 10–11 cm, tail length 9–12 cm. A characteristic feature of this species is very small incisal holes up to 5.1 mm long and not more than 2 mm wide.

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

Mountain mouse (Mus montis) is the largest species of mice common in Russia. The species lives in natural shelters among stones and deadwood 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 painted in a grayish-brown color, looks like a small rat. Feeds on insects and seeds.

mountain mouse

Yellow-throated mouse (Sylvaemus flavicollis) occurs 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 forest mice.

House mouse (Mus musculus)- perhaps the smallest, not counting the baby mouse, a representative of this family. The length of her body reaches 10 cm, the tail is covered with sparse short hairs and horny scales, arranged in an annular shape, and makes up from 50 to 100% of the body length. Desert house mice have a light, sandy-yellow coat color with pure white underparts. Northern forms have gray fur on the sides and light gray on the underside. Domesticated forms are white. The distribution area covers almost the entire globe. The homeland, most likely, was the oases in the deserts of Asia Minor and North Africa. House mice living in the steppe zone and in the north of the semi-desert form mixed colonies and arrange complex collective burrows in which there is a special toilet chamber and a large common nesting chamber. Mice of this type make stocks for the winter period from panicles, large seeds and ears, which are folded near the hole on the surface of the earth.

Most similar in their lifestyle to the house mouse Cairo mouse (Acomys cahirinus). It is common in Egypt and lives in buildings, next to a person.

monkey mouse(Hapalomys longi-caudatus) is similar in size to the forest, her tail is very long. The coat color is brownish. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. It lives in the tropical rainforests of Indonesia, Thailand and adjacent territories. It feeds on various fruits and seeds of trees. Settles on trees and shrubs, arranges nests in hollows.

Longtail mouse(Vandeleuria olegacea) has a body length of 6–8 cm, a tail 10–13 cm long, well pubescent. On the first and fifth fingers, instead of ordinary claws, there are flat nails. Lives exclusively in trees. During the day it hides in a nest, which arranges in hollows or in thickets of branches. The long-tailed mouse is nocturnal, feeds on fruits and seeds, in search of which it quickly moves along the branches. It uses its tail for balance and can wrap around branches.

It breeds throughout the year. In one brood, 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 types. 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 ashy. The belly is lighter than the back, often white.

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

Genus banana mice (Melomys) includes 12 types. They are common 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, brownish or reddish in color. Below the color is lighter - white or cream. The tail is bare, scaly, with one hair on each scale.

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

It builds a spherical nest 12–20 cm in diameter from grass, which is located in bushes, tree crowns or in thick grass. Sometimes it digs a hole with one entrance. It 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 her nipples for up to two weeks. After this period, the young can move and eat on their own, but at the slightest alarm hides on the mother's stomach. The basis of the diet of banana mice is fruits, berries, nuts.

Kangaroo mice(notomys) in appearance resemble jerboas. These are rather large rodents for mice. The length of the body reaches 9-18 cm, the tail - 12-26 cm, at the end there is a small brush. The coloration is sandy, ashen 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. Rodents move on four legs, but when stopping, they rely only on their hind limbs. There are 10 known species of this genus that live in most of Australia: in deserts, steppes, bushes and in light dry forests.

Decorative mouse

Show nocturnal activity. During the day they hide in nests that they make in burrows. The female brings 2-5 cubs.

marsupial rodents of the genus Antechinomys very similar to kangaroo mice and lead a similar lifestyle. Settle in the same places, sometimes occupy one system of holes. They feed on herbs, seeds and berries.

The subfamily of mice also includes some types of rats, for example, rust-nosed, shaggy, stream, acacia, swamp, saccular, triangular-tailed, hamster, gray, black and Turkestan.

This text is an introductory piece. From the author's book

Chapter One CAN SHE CATCH MICE? Our first Siamese was called Saji, we bought her because of the mice. To justify such a prosaic reason, I can only refer to the fact that these mice were not even ordinary, but the hangers-on of our tame squirrel named Blondin. Over the years they

From the author's book

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From the author's book

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From the author's book

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Why wolves don't like dogs, dogs don't like cats, and cats don't like mice (Old Bohemian tale, XIV century) It was a long time ago when people decided to conclude an agreement with wolves that they would not be naughty to each other anymore. In the charter, they also indicated that dogs were allowed to pick up leftovers after

From the author's book

2. Related species Before talking about the canary, it would not be superfluous to provide general information about its closest relatives. Many of them are well known to us since childhood. For example, a relative of the canary is the canary finch, which also lives in Russia. The family

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Behavior of mice in the natural environment Mice have several types of adaptation to adverse environmental conditions, long-term or seasonal. First of all, this is their year-round activity, with the help of which mice make reserves for a possible

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4 Selection and Placement of Fancy Mice Fancy mice are very common pets; in popularity, they are second only to dogs, cats and hamsters. Love for mice can be explained by their lack of aggressiveness towards humans,

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6 Reproduction of mice Decorative mice, like most rodents, have one feature - they are able to breed year-round. Breeding these animals at home requires special attention and involves the occurrence of various kinds of difficulties. For

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Prevention of diseases in ornamental mice Regular preventive measures have a positive effect on the health of your pets and prevent the occurrence and spread of diseases. If there is a need to conduct a thorough examination

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From the author's book

Types of feed Chickens feed mainly on grain. In addition, they eat herbs and their seeds, leaves of trees and shrubs, berries, vegetables, worms, slugs, insects and their larvae, frogs, fish, crushed bones, etc. Storage conditions depend on the type of food. Some types of food

The mouse family or mice are small animals of the mammal class belonging to the order of rodents, which has not been finally classified. The huge family includes 4 subfamilies, which includes 147 genera and 701 species. Animals are found everywhere, especially for a species of mice called. The attitude of people towards these representatives of the fauna is ambiguous. Someone is fighting them, trying to rid their house of uninvited "guests", while others specially breed and tame small rodents.

General characteristics of mouse representatives

A large family of mice is not fully understood. On the territory of Russia, there are 13 species of animals from the order of rodents, which are representatives of 5 genera. All of them have a similar appearance, and lead almost the same lifestyle. Possessing a unique ability to adapt to any living conditions, mice feel great in all natural areas. The exceptions are the regions of the Far North and Antarctica. The ubiquitous distribution of various rodent species allows us to speak of the numerical dominance of their representatives among other mammals.

Interesting!
The familiar word "mouse" in translation from the Indo-European language means "thief", which is fully justified by the habits of a nimble animal.

Appearance:

The mammal has a small elongated body. Its dimensions, depending on the species of the individual, range from 5 to 20 cm. This parameter is doubled due to the tail.
The body of the mouse is covered with short hair, the color palette of which is presented in gray, brown, red or brown. In nature, there are striped and variegated individuals, as well as snow-white albino rodents.
The average weight of a mouse is 20-50 grams.
Animals have short necks.
On a pointed, triangular-shaped muzzle, there are small black beady eyes and semicircular ears, providing good sound perception.
Due to sensitive thin whiskers - vibrissae, growing around the nose of the mouse, it is able to perfectly navigate the environment.
Short paws are equipped with 5 tenacious fingers, allowing to overcome significant obstacles and dig holes.

To get acquainted with representatives of the rodent order, it is advisable to carefully study the photos of the mouse posted on the site.

The animals, like other representatives of this family, have two pairs of large incisors located on the upper and lower jaws. They are very sharp and constantly growing - up to 1 mm per day, therefore they are subject to mandatory grinding. The inability to carry out this procedure can lead to the death of the mouse if the length of the organs reaches 2 cm.

Rodents are highly fertile. At the age of 3 months, the female is capable of conception and childbearing. A wild mouse living in natural conditions, in the warm season, animals living in heated rooms - all year round. The pregnancy lasts approximately 20-24 days and, after this time, from 3 to 12 cubs are born.

Mice are born absolutely helpless - blind, toothless, naked. The mouse feeds from about a month with milk. By day 10, the offspring is completely covered with wool, and after 3 weeks it becomes independent and settles. Under favorable conditions, the population is growing rapidly. The average is calculated 1-1.5 years. Genetically, they are able to exist for 5 years, but how long the animal lives depends on the specific circumstances.

On a note!
Bats do not belong to the mouse family. They are representatives of the order of bats, which is the second largest after rodents.

Lifestyle

The mouse is capable of causing great harm to humans. The rodent by its nature and food habits is a predator. But the pest mainly consumes plant foods and therefore its diet consists of seeds, fruits of trees or shrubs and cereals. Mice living in swampy areas, in wet or flooded meadows, feed on buds, foliage or flowers of various plants.

The herbivorous creature eats helpless chicks with appetite, drags eggs from nests, feasts on worms, various insects, replenishing the body's protein supply. Settling in a human dwelling or near it, mice are happy to destroy potatoes, sausages and bakery products, eggs and other food products that are easy to get to. They do not disdain soap, candles, toilet paper, books, polyethylene.

Interesting!
The strong smell of cheese can scare away a rodent.

Various breeds of mice, having settled almost all over the planet, equipping their habitat, can make nests from grass stalks, occupy abandoned burrows, old hollows, or dig complex underground systems with many passages. Once in a person's house, rodents settle under the floor, in attics, between walls. Unlike representatives that live in swamps and near water bodies, steppe, mountain and swim poorly.

The active life of animals coincides with the evening or night time of the day, but they try not to move a long distance from their home. The mouse has many enemies, these include birds of prey, reptiles, mongooses, foxes, cats, crows and other representatives of the fauna.

Mouse make huge stocks for the winter, but do not hibernate.

Mostly voracious and ubiquitous rodents are harmful, but there is one area of \u200b\u200bscience in which the omnivorous mouse is useful and irreplaceable. These are special laboratories of scientific and medical profile, where animals become guinea pigs. Thanks to these small animals, many important discoveries were made in genetics, pharmacology, physiology and other sciences. Surprising is the fact that 80% of the genes that a living mouse is endowed with are similar to human structures.

The diversity of the family of mice

Animals are adapted to any conditions of existence in the best possible way. Dexterous, agile in movements, rodents can run fast, jump, climb, penetrate the narrowest holes, and if there is an obstacle in front of them, then sharp teeth are used. The description of the mouse would not be complete without mentioning that they are quite smart and cautious, but at the same time shameless, cunning and courageous. With excellent sense of smell and hearing, they are able to quickly respond to danger.

The names of mice, which are often associated with the habitat, like their varieties, are very diverse. Most often in nature there are such types of rodents:

African;
baby mice;
mountain;
brownies;
forest;
herbal;
striped;
spiny and other individuals.

On the territory of Russia, the most common are such 3 types of mice - house, forest and field.

Interesting!
Most mice live in packs. Relations are subject to a strict hierarchical system, headed by a male and several "privileged" females. Each mouse is assigned a certain territory where they can get food. The offspring are brought up together, but upon reaching the "age of majority" they are amicably expelled from the family for independent living.

The species of mice that exist in nature differ in size, color, and habitat. Let us consider in more detail some representatives of the order of rodents.

African mice

This subgroup includes 5 varieties of animals. The average length of an adult mouse is within 10 cm. The color of the back is chestnut, and the belly is most often presented in white. A mouse with a long tail, the length of which is 1.5 times the body, settles in trees and makes a nest in old hollows. The rodent feeds only on plant foods. The lifestyle of the mouse is nocturnal.

grass mice

Mostly representatives of this genus live in Africa, in the eastern part of the continent. The rodent mouse settles in thickets of bushes, occupies other people's minks or digs them on its own, but it can penetrate into people's houses. Animals are among the largest and can reach 19 cm in length (with a tail, this parameter is 35 cm), with a weight of more than 100 g. The fur of the back and sides of the mouse is painted in dark gray or grayish-brown tones. Individual stiff bristles are darker in color.

On a note!
The herbivorous mouse lives in large colonies, making devastating raids on farmland.

forest dweller

The animal lives in natural conditions, equipping its dwelling in bushes, on forest edges, in floodplains of rivers. The main habitats of mice are mixed and broad-leaved forests of the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Altai, and Eastern Europe. The body length is 10-11 cm, the tail is 7 cm, and the weight is approximately 20 g. The mouse with large round ears, which is its main difference from relatives, is characterized by a sharp muzzle, two-color colors. The upper part of the body and tail are painted in red-brown or even black tones, and the tummy, legs and fingers are white.

The mouse hibernates in burrows located at a depth of 2 m and comes out with the onset of a thaw. The main food is grain, seeds, young tree seedlings, but rodents do not refuse insects.

yellow-throated mouse

These rodents are listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region. The main characteristic feature of the animals is the unusual grayish-red color of mice, and around the neck they have a yellow stripe. The body size of an adult is in the range of 10-13 cm with the same tail length. The mass of the mouse is about 50 g. The wide area of settlement includes the forests of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Altai, and the northern provinces of China. The yellow mouse eats plant and animal food. Causes great damage to gardens, destroying young shoots of fruit trees

Gerbil

The mouse came to the territory of the Russian Federation from the USA. She was brought for laboratory research, but quickly settled as a pet. The mouse is characterized by an unpleasant odor, although it looks like a very sweet, friendly creature. There are more than 100 subspecies of the gerbil in the world, of which the pygmy and Mongolian mice breeds live with us. The tummy of the animal is almost white, and the brown-red back is decorated with a bright black strip along the entire body. The rodent has neat little ears, a pink nose, a blunt muzzle and large beady eyes. A mouse with a tassel on its tail can be found quite often among lovers of exotic animals.

Harvest mouse

Outwardly, the mouse is very similar to the gerbil, and in everyday life it can be called a vole. Under natural conditions, it lives in fields, meadows and harms agriculture. In flood-prone areas, it may nest in bushes. The dark, reddish-brown color of the upper body with black stripes contrasts sharply with the white belly and paws of the mouse. The body length varies from 7 to 12 cm, the tail of the animal is not very large.

Mice are active at night, since during the day they have to hide from numerous predatory animals, which include such a reptile as a snake. The diet of rodents consists mainly of plant foods, but they can feast on various insects. High fecundity allows maintaining the population of field mice. They feel great in Europe, Siberia, Primorye, Mongolia and other places. The mouse in the photo posted on the site will allow you to carefully examine the small animal.

House mouse

The most common type of rodent. The gray mouse, making its way into people's apartments, brings a lot of problems, spoils food products, gnaws on furniture, electrical wiring, walls, things and other interior items. The habitat of pests is all landscape and natural zones, with the exception of the Far North and Antarctica. The gray-humped mouse (another name for a mammal) digs holes on its own, but can also occupy abandoned dwellings.

The dimensions of the animal do not exceed 9.5 cm, taking into account the tail, its total length is 15 cm.
The weight of the mouse varies from 12 to 30 grams.
The main food products are seeds and juicy greens, however, once in a human house, the mouse becomes an omnivore.

One of the varieties of animals is the black mouse.

People are ambivalent about rodents. As a result of this, quite often at home you can find unusual mice that are real favorites of family members. Manual pets can be trained, perform simple tricks with small objects. A large detachment of rodents can not only cause damage, but also give joy.