House mouse. Mice: description and photos of wild and ornamental representatives of the mouse family, types and breeds of these animals. House for a decorative mouse

This small tailed animal is gray in color, 9–11 cm long. Tail is 7–10 cm, body weight is 12–93 g. A typically synanthropic species. From time immemorial, it lives near people, getting along even in the largest cities.

In the summer, some house mice move “out into nature” - into fields, orchards and vegetable gardens. By winter, mice return to human buildings again, as they do not tolerate the winter cold well. In the southern regions of Russia, some mice live in nature all year round.

The house mouse feeds mainly on seeds and succulent parts of plants. It spoils food supplies in homes, chews and stains cereals, bread, meat and dairy products. It leaves traces of its presence in the form of gnawed bags and sacks, cabinet walls, scatterings of elongated grains of droppings and an unpleasant mouse smell in cabinets and on shelves. Mice often damage furniture and chew books.

Traces of careful steps of a house mouse in a dark basement

The paw prints of this rodent are rarely found indoors, but if you go down to the village basement where food is stored, then on the soft layer of dust you can see small traces of both the house mouse and other rodents. In cellars, especially towards the end of winter, in addition to house mice, various voles, wood mice, shrews, gray and, in some places, black rats often appear. Following the rodents, small predators also penetrate here, especially often -. So basements and cellars are very interesting places for trackers.

Often, authors of books about animal tracks emphasize that mice usually move in leaps, so their tracks are arranged in the form of a trapezoid, where the prints of the larger hind paws are in front, and the small tracks of the front paws are behind them and closer to each other.

Behind the tracks is often visible a long strip left by the animal's tail. Unlike wood voles, house mice have longer jumps (over 25 cm) and a longer tail stripe remains on their tracks. Unlike mice, all species of the genus of gray voles (, field vole, etc.) more often move with a quick mincing step, and then their tracks lie in a slightly winding stripe, or a paired gallop, leaving a two-bead pattern with short gaps between subsequent pairs of prints (10–20 cm ). The short tail leaves a mark on the snow much less often. If this were always the case, then using these features it would be easy to distinguish the tracks of mice from the tracks of forest voles, and the tracks of the latter from the tracks of gray voles.

In order to find out what traces various small animals leave, I set up a kind of trail area in the basement, like a border trail strip. I removed everything unnecessary from the intended place - slivers, lumps and other debris. After that, I rolled out a layer of dust with a glass bottle, achieving a smooth surface. At the end of this area I set a trap with bait. It was impossible to get to the bait without leaving clear traces on the layer of dust.

It turned out that in conditions of complete darkness in the basement, all the animals move differently than in the forest or field. Here they are forced to move at a slow, careful pace, navigating, apparently, by smell and feeling the path in front of them with long vibrissae. With this movement, the paw prints are arranged in pairs in a winding stripe. The small print of the front paw is in front, and the print of the hind paw is slightly behind, sometimes partially covering the print of the front paw.

The toes on the front paws of these animals are quite widely spaced. On the back, the three middle fingers are only slightly spaced and point forward, while the lateral (first and fifth) fingers are strongly protruded to the sides. The tail imprint on the dust is usually not visible. This is how mice and voles move in a dark room.

Looking closely at the tracks of house mice returning to houses at the beginning of winter, I noticed that here they most often do not jump, but move with a quick mincing step, leaving a winding strip of paired prints. True, in this case, the larger prints of the hind paws appear in front of the small hind tracks. And if the animals had not been captured, their tracks would have been more likely to be taken for the tracks of voles rather than mice. On snow or ground, mice move with more confident long steps.

If in the basement the step length was 2–2.5 cm, the width of the track was 3.5 cm, then in the snow the length of the steps increased to 3.5 cm, and the width of the track decreased to 2.5 cm. At the same time, by many tens of meters I didn’t notice a single stripe left by the animal’s tail, because the mouse does not drag its tail, but holds it straight out above the ground. This is why tail marks usually remain only when a rodent jumps on loose snow.

The size of the print of the front paw of a house mouse is 0.8 × 1, the back one is 1.2 × 1.1 cm. The droppings have the appearance of small, blackish, elongated grains with a slightly pointed end on one side, measuring about 0.5 × 0.2 cm. On average, it is smaller than that of the forest mouse, and especially the yellow-throated mouse, and darker and more pointed than that of voles. However, it would be unnecessary to assume that it can always be distinguished from the droppings of other small rodents.

Decorative mice are the closest relatives of ordinary house mice, which, unlike the latter, are not so afraid of people and, when handled correctly, become completely tame.

Over the years of work, breeders have managed to breed mice with different types of fur and all kinds of colors, so associations exclusively with gray or brown rodents are now no longer relevant.

According to the type of fur, decorative mice are usually divided into standard, long-haired, curly, satin, curly satin and even hairless. According to the length of the tail - into short-tailed and long-tailed. As for color, decorative mice are divided into three groups:

Single-color: white, black, red, golden, beige, brown, etc.;

Multicolor: silver-blue, silver-gray, with tan, chinchilla, cinnamon, sable, agouti, etc.;

Color with markings and patterns: motley (colored specks on a light background), striped, roan, etc.

As a rule, the body length of an adult mouse varies from 6 to 9 cm, and weight - from 12 to 30 g. The tail in long-tailed rodents makes up about 60% of the body length.

Behavior

Decorative mice are quite popular pets, which is understandable. The animals are very cute and unpretentious, they do not require much attention, do not need walking, education or training, and practically do not take up space.

In a word, these are ideal pets for people who have little free time and who are rarely at home, but, nevertheless, do not see the comfort of home without their beloved pets.

Decorative mice easily adapt to new conditions, feel great being close to a person, and when handled with care they become completely tame, get used to the owner, recognize him and even learn to perform simple tricks with pleasure. Rodents are active, cheerful and love to play. Watching the habits of these smart rodents with small beady eyes is very pleasant and educational.

Being awake mostly at night, mice, however, do not make much noise and do not bother their owners.

Health and life expectancy

Decorative mice have good health. These are active and cheerful pets, whose life expectancy is on average 1.5 years.

As a rule, decorative mice are kept in metal cages with frequent bars so that the nimble rodent cannot escape. It is not recommended to use an aquarium as a home, because... it is poorly ventilated. The cage should be spacious, because mice love to move and play, and absolutely safe. The size is selected depending on the number of animals: one mouse requires an area of ​​at least 20x30 cm.

Wood shavings are poured onto the bottom of the cage. Do not use cotton wool under any circumstances; the mouse may get entangled in it and injure itself. And if cotton wool gets into your pet’s stomach, expect serious problems with his health.

The necessary attributes of the cage include: a mouse house, a feeding trough, a mineral stone or branches for grinding teeth, a drinking bowl and toys. Believe me, your pet will be truly happy if you give him a running wheel, and also equip his home with all kinds of ladders, branches and shelters, so that the active mouse has something to do while you are away.

A cage with decorative mice is installed against the wall, away from windows, noise sources and heating appliances. Do not place the cage directly on the floor. Use a stand that is strong, secure and fairly tall, or place the cage on a stable surface such as a table.

And, of course, you should always keep your pet’s cage clean. Make it a rule to remove leftover food and debris from the cage every day, rinse the feeder and drinker with plain clean water. The litter is changed as needed, approximately every 2-3 days.

When getting a pet, you should understand that the mouse will be bored when alone. The ideal option is to get two mice, so they can play with each other and never get bored. A female decorative mouse will get along well with another female, but you should not have two males, because... conflicts between them cannot be avoided. You should also not keep a female and a male in the same cage, otherwise finding new owners for little mice will become your main hobby.

Feeding

Ornamental mice are rodents, and the basis of their diet is grains (wheat, millet, barley, rye, etc.). Pets will benefit from millet, oatmeal, some fruits, berries and vegetables, as well as animal food. As treats, mice can be pampered with sunflower seeds and crackers, but strictly in small quantities. But dairy products are not suitable for mice and should be avoided.

During the warm months, be sure to enrich your diet with greens, but be careful: not all greens are suitable for rodents.

When forming a diet, keep in mind that when feeding mice naturally, they need additional vitamin and mineral supplements. However, if you choose ready-made food, feeding will not be necessary.

High-quality, balanced ready-made food for rodents is an excellent solution. They are sold in almost every pet store and contain all the necessary elements for proper growth and good health of pets. When feeding ready-made diets, “supplementing” the mouse with natural products and vitamin supplements is not only unnecessary, but also categorically not recommended. The fact is that high-quality ready-made food contains the optimal amount of useful substances - exactly as much as the rodent’s body requires. By adding other foods to your diet, you will create an imbalance.

Reproduction

Decorative mice are very prolific, therefore, when getting a female and a male, you should soberly assess your capabilities in breeding these pets. Just imagine: a healthy female can bear offspring all year round, and pups become sexually mature at the age of 30 days. Males are most active in reproduction at the age of 1-1.5 years, however, even at a very advanced age, they can still fertilize females.

As a rule, one litter consists of 5-9 mice. Babies are born mainly at night, and before their birth, a caring mother builds a cozy nest from hay or fabric.

Mice are born completely helpless, their eyes are closed and their skin is completely bare. The body of a newborn mouse is no more than 3 cm in length. However, the mice grow very quickly. At the age of 2 weeks, their eyes open, and by then the babies already have fur.

In the first days after birth, try not to disturb the female. The mother is gradually recovering, while carefully caring for the babies, feeding and cleaning them.

Horror stories about mice eating their offspring are, unfortunately, not uncommon, but this behavior is caused by purely improper maintenance and extremely unfavorable conditions for raising offspring. With proper care and careful handling, decorative mice are the cutest tame creatures that bring their owners many positive emotions throughout their lives.

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.

I once bought 2 decorative dwarf mice, I think one will be bored, and a month later my little ones Do and Mi turned into huge rats... of course they were great, but they stank and were very noisy. They didn’t bite, they really loved hands and bathes, they also kissed (licked) my ears and generally made me as happy as they could... easy to care for

I had a whole family of mice. They smell like normal animals. I didn't notice a strong stench. Unless they ran around in the wheel at night and interfered with sleep

Myth 1. Mice are stinkers. We bought white mice, washed the cage and added new filler, after 1 hour they sucked everything and it stinks terribly, this is clearly not a myth.

Males - very. They mark everything, especially after washing. But the majority are tolerant. But this blue one is something. I open my terr the next day... and there

In females, if you change the bedding during the time, it is almost not felt if you keep it in the dune. And the skin smells a little.

In general, females do not smell at all compared to males.

Good afternoon. Most likely your mice have a tactile allergy. If the inoculation tank comes back negative, they must be switched to a dust-free medium, for example, corn filler or cotton fabric. Your litters are very dusty and cause alopecia.

Also describe their diet.

I have a very modest experience - I adopted a boy mouse. But firstly, the grandmother squealed at the sight of his tail, and secondly, after 3-4 hours the freshly cleaned mouse began to smell like 8 hamsters combined in a week and a half!

Good day to all! I would like to tell you today about decorative mice. Decorative mice are relatives of ordinary pantry mice, only domesticated. I started this miracle a month ago. I came to the pet store with the intention of buying a hamster, and saw them... Small, tiny, pressed against each other. I don’t even understand how many people are afraid of mice. This creature, even if it really wants to, will not be able to harm you. In general, I changed my decision about the hamster immediately, and after 15 minutes I was already walking with the cage and the mouse towards the house.

So, meet me, this is Lyutsik

We sorted out the cage, poured in food and bedding (by the way, they advised us to use hemp-based bedding. Very strange, but that’s not the point). I released this miracle and the first thing I noticed was... the smell. Yes, it's the smell. Yes, of course, you can say that almost any rodent smells. Hamsters smell completely different and this smell, compared to a mouse’s, is not noticeable at all. After 10 minutes I could already clearly feel it. This is incomparable to anything. It is not caustic, but quite specific. The substring will have to be changed every three days in order to somehow alleviate the situation. Once he relieved himself on me, and my hand smelled for several days, despite the fact that I washed it thoroughly, went to the shower, and took a bath. Smell is perhaps one of the main problems.

Is this animal tame, does it get used to humans? He is much more afraid of hamsters and is difficult to pick up. When you approach the cage, he begins to get nervous and tries to hide, and when you try to take it, he may start squeaking (note that this does not cause him pain in any way). But it doesn’t bite, at least it hasn’t bitten me yet. Perhaps in a month he did not have time to get used to the house and surroundings, and maybe then the situation will change. But for now, this is it.

I wanted to talk about feeding. This may seem strange, but Lucik turned out to be very picky about food. We bought him food, and other than that he eats practically nothing. I didn't even try the apple. Other fruits too. Doesn't eat vegetables. All that we have found out so far is that he loves rice cakes and dry bread. Just recently he ate some lettuce. We try to give him something new every day to understand what he eats and what he doesn’t. Like hamsters, they are nocturnal.

In conclusion, we can say that when purchasing a decorative mouse, we received a semi-wild, “fragrant” animal that is not so easy to feed. But, as they say, we are responsible for those we have tamed. Therefore, I try to get used to both the smell and the character. With the hope that in the end it will become more tame. It's up to you to start it or not. Depends on whether you are willing to be patient. Well, Lyutsik and I continue to live together and get to know each other

she is a girl! so for now he lives in a jar, he has been fattened up a little)))))) but, of course, the mouse is not easy to handle - he is nervous...

So what did you decide - let go or leave? if you leave it, then the jar is not the best option - you need a cage, a wheel, a house...

And our gerbil, a male, has been living for three years. He runs around, runs wild, builds holes for himself, is generally cheerful and healthy, his old age is not noticeable at all (t-t-t-t-t)

Although when they took me, I also read that they only live for about two years...

I had hamsters, a rat, a rabbit, guinea pigs... The mouse appeared by accident. White female. I was itching all the time! Although there was no reason, maybe an allergy? But there were no scratches to be seen... Veterinarians consider mice food for other animals and refuse to treat them. And mice often get sick and are prone to tumors. Mine died that way, although it was already with a friend - she gave it away. Inbreeding has an effect; as a rule, mice are bred like this: they buy a pair, and then they breed ad infinitum. Hence mutations and diseases. It's not far from degeneration. I didn’t find anything interesting in keeping a mouse; hamsters are better in this regard! The mouse lives less than 2 years, shits directly while sitting in your hands, is not accustomed to anything, is small and fragile. I don’t recommend it for children - only the child will become attached to the mouse, and he will play in the box. They are unpretentious, of course, they take up little space, they don’t require much communication (they only get stressed when they are taken out of the cage). My mouse was tame and didn’t bite, but I gave it away and lived with me for six months. There is no smell if you wash the cage every day. Eating rodent food is the best solution. Be sure to include carrots or something you can chew on. Mice are sold not as pets at all, but as food for snakes and other animals, hence the poor health, no one cares about good breeding. There are enthusiasts who breed new breeds of domestic mice - I advise you to look for and buy such a mouse, not a laboratory one. If you like mice)

Advantages:

Economical, does not stink

Flaws:

They don't live long and are undesirable to pick up.

Details:

One day we went to the market to buy a hamster. First of all, I asked how to care for them. As it turned out, it’s not so easy, and they smell too much.” I looked in the other direction and saw a cage with mice. I thought disgusting animals and didn’t pay attention to them. But when a woman came up to us and said that she had a boy and a girl and that she really liked them. She then told us their biography and care for them. My daughter really wanted to buy a mouse. I couldn't refuse her. I bought a girl. When they got home, they remembered that they needed a cage. I went to the market and bought a cage. During this time, the mouse managed to do some mischief. We began to call her Lily. She liked the name. Caring for her turned out to be simple. It is important to clean the cage often. She eats almost everything. And oats and cereals and bread. It’s better, of course, to buy food at a pet store, but still. She has been living with us for 2 years. And she has already become a member of our family.

Advantages:

Cute and beautiful

Flaws:

They eat a lot

Very beautiful mice, I took a photo of them in revenge, two of them almost ran around the apartment. At first we had two of them, Mom and Dad, here they are. Mom is much bigger than Dad. And she became pregnant, she was pregnant for three weeks, we waited and waited and she gave birth to four little bald, attractive mice. A week later, the first one opened his eyes and began to run, and Mom constantly dragged him into the cage. When they all started running, the first thing they did was try to grab the wheel and some succeeded. And when someone is in the wheel from their parent, if they run, the kids will fly out of the wheel. The main thing is to plant them later, or they will begin to multiply very quickly and this will cause a problem. When there were two of them, they had enough pebbles for 5 days, but now we have time to add spruce in a day and we keep them in the aquarium because they crawl out of the cage.

Advantages:

Pleasant, beautiful and unpretentious in food.

Flaws:

No cons

Very beautiful and kind, fluffy; affectionate, caring parents are very quickly tamed and get along well with all children and adults and minimal costs

Advantages:

did not see

Flaws:

They stink, are difficult to tame, bite, make noise and fight.

Foolishly, after reading the reviews, I took three satin mice (from a nursery in another city). Very young, multi-colored females, one was black, white and red, another was chocolate with red tan, and the third was smoky with large ears. The three of them gave in, because “they were very friendly.” They were positioned as completely manual. I’ll say right away that I have experience keeping rodents (there were hamsters, rats and a decorative rabbit). Now, in order: mice are completely self-sufficient creatures, they don’t need human company, except to give them something to eat, and even then they don’t take it from someone’s hand, unless they hold a plate in their hand, then they can climb on it and eat. As for their “friendship”: it is very peculiar, they constantly sort things out, often beat each other up, while squeaking, I have never seen them play with each other. Mice have one thing for fun - a wheel that rattles all night. And now about the most unpleasant moments: my “absolutely tame” purebred mice were almost wild at 3-4 months old. You could only take one in your hands. I transplanted the other two with the help of a house. one mouse bit until it bled. But the most unpleasant thing is the smell, not even a rabbit smells like that. the stench in the container appeared exactly 10 minutes after cleaning (washing the container with soap and hot water) and was exactly the same as before cleaning. I honestly tried to get used to them, it was difficult for me to love them, but after 4 months I decided to give them away, but... I ran into a problem: no one takes mice, even for nothing, even with a huge container and all the belongings. In one pet store, the seller said that since mice do not stink, no one stinks and advised them to be released into the field. but my hand didn’t rise and I took them to a local living corner and for Christ’s sake asked them to take them. For those who want to get mice, think a hundred times, it’s better to get a tame hamster, he’s even more sociable.

I was so happy with my first mouse “Whirlwind” (I was 16), after six months my eyes would not have seen them (by that time there were more than 50 of them, after 35 pieces I stopped counting them, it was no longer possible) .
“decorative mouse” was written on the price tag in the pet store; they were no more than 10 cm in length (adults). My mouse was withdrawn, constantly hiding, I decided to buy him a “girlfriend” (DON’T REPEAT THE MISTAKES).
how happy I was with the first two mice born a month later, then after 2 weeks 4 more, then another and another... There was no one to give to friends, the store didn’t accept them...
My room was a room of “squeaking”, stench and noise from a spinning wheel on which 5-7 mice were running at a time. In each corner there were “nests” where mothers fed their babies (“red worms”), 3 cm in length . It was extremely difficult to clean their house; it was necessary to somehow catch them. I was afraid to feed them, they went wild and bit my hands. It was like fleas were jumping in a large terrarium (got from a turtle), running away from it, I caught them all over the room.
One day a cat entered my room and strangled about 20 of them. but a month later there were even more of them (the old people died, the young people began to multiply more actively in the free territory).
Soon I noticed among the black and white, black and white, PINK MICE WITH RED EYES!!! Everyone advised to get rid of them, I found an alternative option - there were abandoned dachas not far from our house, we took the entire terrarium there, left them food, opened the lid... It was summer, there were berries growing in the gardens, apple trees all around, there was enough for them for the first time, but then the natural environment... I let them go and my soul became lighter... since then I haven’t got any animals...
I recommend keeping only one pet (mouse or rat)…

Advantages:

Care is cheap and not painstaking. Cute and fluffy.

Flaws:

The room will smell bad (sometimes).

So I’ll start with the fact that mice are cheaper and much easier to care for compared to a cat or a dog. But they are so cute and cute. I am sure that you simply will not leave them.

Advantages:

Calm, nice, don’t make noise (because I have a dune)

Flaws:

In principle, they are not there, they smell, but the smell is not strong and it is quite survivable.

Mice are very cool, I read the comment above that they are terrible and stink. Yes, they smell. But they require care, after buying them from the pet store you don’t need to run and wash them, you need to wait a week or two so that he (she, they) gets used to you). When buying such soapy creatures, everyone knows perfectly well that they smell; they won’t immediately fit into your hands. If you treat them badly and immediately treat them with flattery without allowing them to get used to it for at least a week, the result will be that you won’t need it. The most important thing is patience.
It is better to keep them in dunes or plastic containers; there will be much less noise and debris.
Personally, I acquired two wonderful boys (just today). Before that, I also kept other rodents, so I was ready for them both mentally and physically.
The main thing is to show love to them, then you will see their love for you.
Good luck to all)

Very often you can find on the Internet that all animals have a smell, a mouse stinks just like a rat, hamster, etc., no stronger and no weaker. Now, that's not true. A mouse lived with me for a week, and there was a stench throughout the entire apartment, and sometimes it seemed to me that even in the entrance there was a specific, mouse-like character of paradise only for these animals. So what if the mouse is decorative? She smells like normal.

By the way, I liked my mouse precisely for his beauty and prudence - he always took food from my hands so efficiently and slowly.

But, unfortunately, due to the unpleasant smell, I had to give it away.

Fell in love with these little fluffy balls at first sight! Even in the pet store, decorative mice attracted me with their activity, cheerful disposition and interesting color. I have never regretted that my choice fell on this particular type of rodent!! Initially I planned to take two boys (so as not to breed), but the consultant at the pet store mixed it up and we got mice of different sexes. We found out about this a month later, when we received an addition to the family - an additional 6 mice. We had to take the mother and cubs back to the pet store.

There was only one dad left. They later bought him a male friend. But the friendship did not work out, they began to fight for the territory of Drugan and gave him to his friends. Dad was left alone again.

My observations:

— Mice are very sociable, sociable creatures. They love to be among their own kind (unlike hamsters, who are loners by nature). If a mouse has no one to communicate with, they simply become depressed. So you definitely need to establish contact with her.

— Mice are very friendly, they bite very rarely, and it doesn’t hurt at all.

— They love people, they love to be held (again, all because of their sociability).

- Omnivorous. BUT!! You can easily spoil them. They are just like little children. If you get used to just tasty treats, then don’t expect to nibble on dry oats. So, everything in moderation. We buy special food and give him fresh fruits and vegetables. We give the most high-calorie things (seeds and cheese) as rarely as possible and in small portions.

- Night creatures. During the day they mostly sleep, and at night...! Activity is in full swing!) He rushes around the cage, turns everything upside down, runs in a wheel so that the whole cage is shaking... In general, he finds entertainment for himself

FLAWS:

- Boys STINK! They really stink because they mark the area all the time (that’s why I took off one star). We wash the cage every few days, and there is also a room deodorant granule nearby that absorbs odors. In this combination everything is quite tolerable.

- They live short, as do all rodents.

But these mice bring happiness and joy...!!!

Our first mouse in the house came from good hands. The neighbor's kids played enough, and that's it, the mouse became unnecessary in the new apartment. So we got a new tenant, they named him Semyon Semenych. He was a “mouse” of considerable age, a sort of venerable old man. With his own quirks and habits., sores.

The biggest problem was that Semyon Semyonich’s teeth grew quickly and he constantly had to grind them down. The previous owners, apparently, did not know about this, and Semyon Semyonich developed a problem with his teeth, which pierced the gum and grew outward. He even stopped eating. They took him to the vet, who performed surgery.

Then we constantly monitored the health of “our mouse” so that he always had pieces of wood on which he could grind his teeth.

The mouse was funny. You could watch for a long time how he makes his hole, how touchingly he gnaws on carrots and apples. You could even talk with Semyon Semyonich and share secrets. He sat on the palm and listened carefully. He understood everything. His beady eyes said so. How much intelligence they had!

It’s a pity that Semyon Semyonich lived with us very little. In general, rodents have a short lifespan... It is very sad when little friends pass away.

Then we had a few more mice. There was even a whole family with children. Of course, it’s easy to breed mice, but if they multiply, what should they do with it? Should I give it to a pet store or feed it to boa constrictors? This, I tell you, was still the same Problem.

One or two mice are good and cool, but a whole mouse farm... Every morning I had to “go to the barn.” Clean up after the livestock and provide feed. And already in the crowd of mice, individuality was lost. Communication became not very intimate, as it had once been with Semyon Semyonich.

But the mice felt at ease with us. They had proper care, which, by the way, required a lot of time, since the cage had to be cleaned as often as possible so that the smell did not appear like on a pig farm.

Now advice to those who have decided to get themselves a mouse. Think before you become an owner. Remember that we are responsible for the one we have tamed. Even for a little mouse!

The house mouse is a special type of rodent, which is known for its close coexistence with humans. The little gray animal can be found in the vegetable garden, summer cottage, garden, outbuildings, sheds, chicken coops, even in your own house or apartment. The annoying creature eats food supplies, spoils interior items, chews wiring, and does many other dirty tricks on humans.

Distinctive appearance

House mice belong to one of the most numerous groups of mammals on earth - rodents. About 80 are known in the world. The most common are house mice. Outwardly, the animal is familiar to adults and small children. A photo of house mice is located below.

• The body length of an adult is from 6 to 10 cm. In some cases it can reach 15 cm. How much a house mouse weighs depends on the living conditions and nutritional status. The weight of a wild mouse ranges from 12 to 30 g. Sexual dimorphism is weak. It is difficult to distinguish a male from a female by size.
• The tail is thin, with horny scales. The length of the tail is equal to 60% of the length of the body.
• Round small ears are widely spaced relative to each other.
• Round eyes, oblong muzzle.
• House mice are characterized by different colors. The upper part of the body is dark. It comes in grey, brown and black. The belly is always a tone lighter. There are ash-gray, white, and red fibers.

Interesting!

House mice live quietly in cages. Breeders have bred ornamental animals that are yellow, blue, black, red, and white. Below is a decorative house mouse in the photo.

Varieties

Brownies. This is facilitated by high adaptive capacity. The animals tolerate cold and heat relatively well and adapt to any living conditions. Close proximity to humans ensures survivability - a minimum of enemies, a large amount of food. A typical representative of mice can be found outdoors and indoors. Lives in garages.

House mice are the most common experimental specimens in laboratories. Over many years of work, breeders have intentionally or unintentionally bred many different subspecies of house mice. But several have been officially identified.

House mouse classification:

1. musculus – has become widespread in Poland, Northern and Eastern Europe, and parts of Russia;
2. bactrianus - an interesting species of domestic mice found in Asia;
3. domesticus - a heat-loving species found in Southern Europe, America, Africa, Australia;
4. castaneus is another representative of Asia, only in the southeastern part.

For a long time, there was another species of house mice - M.m.molossinus. Rodents have become widespread in Japan. However, later scientists stated that this species cannot be classified as a separate type, since they obtained the animals by crossing M.m.musculus, M.m.castaneus.

Living environment in the wild

The house mouse loves warmth and does not tolerate high humidity. Animals do not live in the Far North, the vastness of Antarctica, or high in the mountains. The rest of the area was explored up and down.

The house mouse likes to settle near people's houses during the warm season. With the onset of cold weather, it completely moves into human habitations, barns, warehouses, granaries, outbuildings. Seasonal migration is 3-5 km.

Mass relocation occurs under unfavorable climatic conditions. Fire, flood, drought, premature frosts contribute to the migration process. Some house mice remain to spend the winter in fields in haystacks, forest belts, and stacks. With the onset of spring, he leaves houses and apartments and moves to natural places of residence.

On a note!

In desert areas, where the air temperature is always comfortable for house mice, mass migration into human homes does not occur. Rodents live in oases year-round and stay in places with bodies of water. In rocky areas they live in walnut orchards, causing considerable damage to the owners.

Secluded housing

In most cases, the house mouse settles on soft soil that is not prone to drying out. To make it easier to make moves, the walls of the tunnels did not collapse. They build a hole 100 cm long. There must be an entrance and 2 emergency exits. The nest chamber is built at a distance of 30 cm from the ground surface. In winter they go deeper - up to 65 cm in depth. The diameter of the nest is about 25 cm. House mice prepare a soft bedding from twigs, leaves, moss, and all convenient materials.

House mice often inhabit ready-made burrows of voles, moles, hamsters, and other rodents. Or they build a nest under stones, in natural depressions in the ground, under a mound of leaves.

In human housing, house mice place their nests in well-protected, secluded places. Prefer to settle:

• under the floor;
• between walls;
• in the attic;
• under trash cans;
• in places where food waste accumulates;
• in the vegetable store.

To build a nest, various available, suitable materials are used: straw, pieces of fabric, twigs, hair, feathers, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam.

Interesting!

In the wild, house mice become more active at night. During the day they hide in holes for several reasons - they do not like bright light, they are afraid of predators. Housing is designed to suit people's lifestyles. They crawl out of the shelter in complete silence.

If there is constant artificial lighting in the house, house mice are active around the clock with regular breaks. There are about 20 periods of wakefulness per day with an average duration of 30 minutes. House mice move along studied routes. They leave behind feces, urine, and food crumbs.

House mice run well and quickly respond to rustling sounds and movement. The animals are capable of reaching speeds of up to 13 km/h. They climb trees and flat surfaces, jump, and behave freely in water.

Each has its own territory. The mouse does not move far from the nest; it hunts in a designated area. Males are entitled to 1200 m², females - 900 m². During the period of strong reproduction, house mice settle in families and colonies. There is a leader - a male, several dominant females.

Interesting!

The head of the family behaves aggressively towards young males; fights for primacy between females rarely occur. They raise their offspring together and take care of proper nutrition. Weak individuals try not to show themselves to the leader and begin to become active when the “leader” falls asleep. Grown-up mice are soon kicked out of the family. They create their own hierarchy.

Nutritional Features

The marks left on plastic, rubber, wood and other inedible materials give the impression that house mice are omnivores. In nature, the rodent is content with seeds. grain crops, cereals, legumes. Eats seeds of cultivated and wild plants.

A certain part of the diet is occupied by insects, worms, caterpillars, larvae, and carrion. When there is a lack of water, house mice eat the succulent parts of the plant. A rodent needs about 3 ml of liquid per day. If this rule is not followed, the animal dies from dehydration within 15 days. When there is an excess of food, rodents make food reserves for a rainy day. Occasionally they destroy birds' nests and feast on eggs and small chicks.

In a human home, the diet of mice expands significantly. Pests eat all food supplies, any products. And also soap, candles, indoor flowers, glue.

Has its own characteristics. The teeth of rodents have unusual properties. Each jaw has incisors that grow daily throughout life. The animals are forced to constantly grind them down, otherwise they will not be able to close their mouths. For this purpose, they chew hard, inedible materials - wood, plastic, foam plastic, brick, rubber and the like.

Features of reproduction

House mice are characterized by extraordinary fertility. Under favorable conditions in the house they breed all year round. In the natural environment, the period lasts throughout the entire period of warm days. Starts in March, ends in November. During the year, the female gives birth to 10-14 fetuses, in a litter of 3 to 11 mice. After 18 hours, she is again ready for fertilization. Pregnancy lasts on average 21 days.

Mice are born blind, naked, absolutely helpless. After 2 weeks, they become covered with fur, open their eyes, and at the same time their incisor teeth appear. On the 21st day of their existence, they are completely ready for independent life and are expelled from the nest. Fertilization of a young female occurs at 5 weeks of life.

Interesting!

Males attract the attention of females using ultrasound. They do not stand on ceremony in mating games, they immediately get down to business. House mice interbreed with other subspecies without problems.

Lifespan

Mice have many natural enemies - from the harmless hedgehog to the fox, wolf, dog, and cat. does not exceed 18 months. In captivity with proper care and an abundance of food, house mice live up to 3 years. In laboratory conditions during the experiment, the individual lived for 5 years.

The number of rodents is subject to seasonal fluctuations. It has also been observed that the mouse population increases every 5 years. At the end of winter, the number of animals is at a minimum; with the onset of spring, rodents begin to mate. As plants grow, the number of rodents increases. There is a decline until the end of summer. The maximum number of pests is observed in autumn. At home, there are no significant fluctuations in the number of mice; the population can increase 3 times.

Harm

House mice, with their huge numbers, spoil grain fields. They don’t so much gnaw grain as they dig tunnels and form embankments. The stem falls to the ground, the grain is damaged, and difficulties arise during harvesting.

The main harm caused by a house pest is damage to food supplies and animal feed. Pests contaminate them with feces, urine, and leave behind many bacteria and pathogens.

Undoubted harm is caused to furniture, decorative items, books, and clothing. They chew wood, plastic, rubber, and electrical wiring. For these reasons, primitive man tamed the cat, which successfully destroys rodents.

House mice are carriers of dangerous diseases:

• intestinal infections;
• plague;
• pseudotuberculosis;
• fever;
• rabies;
• tularemia;
• leptospirosis.

Benefit

For many years, house mice have been bred as laboratory specimens. One of the reasons for the mass breeding of rodents in captivity is various experiments. Decoding the genome of house mice was completed in 2002. Scientists have found that the gene is 80% identical to the human gene. The effect of new drugs is being tested on animals.

Breeders are constantly experimenting, breeding pets with original colors - red, yellow, blue, white, spotted. This cute little creature pleases the eyes of its owners and is not at all like the harmful, dangerous gray creature.

Interesting!

In the course of numerous experiments, a “dancing mouse” was obtained. Pathology in the functioning of the brain, a disorder of the motor system has led to the fact that the animals are spinning non-stop, being in one place, moving in zigzags. Singing mice were developed in China about 350 years ago. Rodents make sounds similar to crickets.

The animals are bred specifically in nurseries to be fed to other animals - snakes, lizards, hedgehogs, cats, and other predators.

The house mouse is one of the most unique, interesting, unusual creatures. There is no point in purposefully destroying animals, unless they happen to be near the house or live in an apartment.