The main characteristics of a computer mouse. Decorative mouse - varieties, breeds and variants of the type of wool What type of mouse are

Mice are the most common mammalian rodents. They harm both farmers, gardeners and apartment dwellers.

But there is also a species of very rare mice listed in the Red Book.

What do these animals look like? What do they eat? What are the dangers to humans and should we get rid of them? What types of mice are more common?

Description, appearance and reproduction

Mice are mammals animals. They belong to the order of rodents, the mouse family. Their body length rarely exceeds 10 cm, weight varies from 15 to 45-50 grams. Wool can be of different colors (depending on the breed).

The tail is covered with short hairs, its length is usually equal to the length of the body. The muzzle of mice has the shape of a triangle, the ears are large and round, sticking out to the sides. The eyes usually have black color(in albinos they are red).

REFERENCE: Mice reproduce very quickly. They reach sexual maturity already by 2 months, and in one year they bring up to 10 litters, in each of which up to 8 mice are born. Pregnancy in these animals lasts 3 weeks.

Mice are born naked and blind, their first hair grows only a week after birth. After 2-3 weeks they are completely independent.

Mice breed more actively in summer, since this process is affected by the amount of available feed.

What species are most common?


All over the world there are about 300 species of forest and field mice. Most of them are found in warm countries(Africa and Asia), Australia and Eurasia have fewer species. Here are the births that occur in a person's life:

• house mouse;

Distribution in Russia

In Russia most common house mice. They live in all corners of the country, with the exception of the northeastern part of Siberia, the interfluve of the Lena and Yenisei rivers and mountain forests. In the European part of Russia, some species of voles live.

Baby mice prefer warm climate. Their habitat includes the coast of the Black and Baltic Seas, the Caucasus, Transbaikalia, the Volga coast. Field mice live in the southern part of Western Siberia and the Caucasus.

Nutrition

The basis of the diet of mice is a grain (legumes, cereals). Many species feed on plants and their seeds, and some catch insects, eat larvae and even carrion. One mouse per day drinks 3-5 ml of liquid Without water, they can live up to 2.5 weeks.

Animals that live near humans can eat whatever foods are available to them: candles, soap, chocolate, milk, dairy products, meat, grain. If there is an abundance of food, mice stock up.

Mice in the country or in wild nature, gnaw the bark of trees, eat buds, berries, young shoots. Some mice gnaw on cones and extract nuts from them. In the taiga, animals willingly eat cranberries and lingonberries.

yellow-throated mouse

These mice became a separate species back in 1894, and in 2008 they were listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region. Their main difference is bright red skin color. They have a yellow stripe around their neck. The ears of yellow-throated mice are large, round, the body length reaches 10 cm.

These animals live in the southern part of Russia, but are also found in the north. They are dangerous because spread various diseases(the most dangerous is tick-borne encephalitis). These mice live in forests, occupy hollows and nests., sometimes dig minks in the roots of trees. From food prefers seeds (acorns, beech, hazelnuts, etc.).

What harm is being done to farmers?

Mice, like many other rodents, cause a lot of harm to farms. Here's what harm mice are dangerous for:

• mice carry dangerous diseases (typhus, plague, salmonellosis, etc.);
• leave their excrement wherever they run and climb (various infections are also transmitted to people through feces);
• gnaw on wires, furniture, walls and other household items;
• mice are dangerous for giving: they spoil the crop (nibble the bark fruit trees and their roots, eat the harvested crop);
• eat the feed of farm animals and leave their excrement in them, which leads to spoilage of products.

Photo

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 Oh. The exceptions are the regions of the Far North and Antarctica. ubiquity various kinds rodents allows us to talk about 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 mandible. 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 predator birds, 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 a 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 placements of mice are mixed and broadleaf forests Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Altai, of 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. Main salient feature animals - an 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, she 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.

A mouse is a small animal that belongs to the class of mammals, the order of rodents, the mouse family (Muridae).

Mouse - description, characteristics and photo. What does a mouse look like?

The length of the body of a mouse covered with short hair, depending on the species, ranges from 5 to 19 cm, and doubles with the tail. These rodents have a rather short neck. On the pointed muzzle, small black beady eyes and small semicircular ears are visible, allowing mice to hear well. Thin and sensitive whiskers growing around the nose, give them the ability to perfectly navigate the environment. Mice, unlike hamsters, lack cheek pouches.

The paws of the mouse are short with five tenacious fingers. 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, however, 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 shrubs, city gardens and parks, and the shelter suits both in minks and in any natural shelters. In flooded areas, nests in 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 abdomen (sometimes with a small speck yellow color). The body size of adults reaches 10-13 cm, the tail has approximately the same length. The weight of the mouse is about 50 grams. This species of mice is widely distributed in the forests of Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Caucasus, the northern provinces of China and Altai. Yellow-throated mice settle on open edges in tree hollows or dug minks, but they can also live in stony placers. Their diet includes both plant and animal foods. Eating young seedlings of fruit trees, they cause significant harm to nurseries.

• Grass mouse (Nilotic grass mouse) (Arvicanthis niloticus)

is one of the most major representatives of the mouse family and can reach 19 cm in length, and together with the tail - 35 cm. The weight of individual large individuals exceeds 100 g. The fur of the back and sides has a dark gray or grayish-brown color with separate hard and prickly bristles of a darker shade. The color of the belly is light grey. This species of mice is most common in African countries, where they live in bushes, forests and savannahs. As a refuge, grass mice choose abandoned termite mounds or dig holes on their own, but on occasion they can penetrate into human habitation. The basis of the diet of mice is plant foods.

• (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 is 6.5 cm, and the weight of the baby does not exceed 10 g. The back and sides are monophonic 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 range 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 summer time as a refuge, mice use nests twisted in the grass, and hibernate in minks, haystacks, residential or outbuildings of a person. The basis of the diet of baby mice is the seeds of cereals and legumes, as well as small insects. Often they settle near granaries, causing great harm to agriculture.

• (Mus muscle)

the most common species on the planet from the rodent family. 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 have a sandy color. The muzzle of the mouse is sharp with small rounded ears. The area of ​​distribution 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, very often they penetrate into household and residential buildings of a person. IN natural conditions they dig minks on their own, although they can also occupy dwellings abandoned by other rodents. They feed on seeds and succulent green parts of plants, and when they enter a person’s house, they consume everything that gets into their teeth - from bread and sausages to paraffin candles.

• (Lemniscomys striatus)

a small-sized 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 vegetable "dishes": root crops, non-hard seeds, juicy fruits occasionally small insects.

• (akomis) (Acomys)

a rather nice representative of the mouse family, the owner of huge eyes and the same big ears. The size of the spiny mouse, together with the tail, is 13-26 cm, the back of the animal is covered with thin needles, like an ordinary hedgehog. An amazing feature of these animals is regeneration: in case of danger, the mouse is able to shed a piece of skin, leaving the attacker at a loss. The skin is quickly restored without harm to the individual. spiny mouse lives in Asia, is found in Cyprus and Africa. In food, it focuses on plant foods; this animal is often kept as pet.

Where does the mouse live?

The distribution area of ​​mice covers almost all climatic zones, zones and continents. the globe. Mouse representatives can be found in tropical thickets, coniferous or deciduous forests, steppe expanses and deserts, on mountain slopes or in swampy areas. Mice also live in people's homes.

Mice can make 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 are poor swimmers.

The basis of the diet of mice is plant foods: grass seeds, fruits of trees or shrubs and cereals (wheat, oats, barley, millet, buckwheat). Mice that live in swampy areas, in wet and flooded meadows, feed on leaves, buds or flowers of plants and shrubs. Some species of mice prefer a protein supplement as insects, worms, beetles, spiders. Once in the house, these animals are happy to gnaw potatoes, sausage, baked goods, eggs or cheese.

The mouse does not fall into hibernation and can move under the snow crust without appearing on the surface.

To survive the cold, she has to create solid food stocks in pantries arranged near the entrance to the mink.

What to feed mice at home?

Although house mice eat many foods, not every one of them is recommended for your pets, because there are foods that are not only harmful, but also dangerous for rodents. That is why it is important to properly feed mice at home so that they are healthy, mobile and energetic.

The best option for feeding domestic rodents is ready-made balanced food, which can be bought at any pet store. It is important to note that it is worth choosing “Mouse Food”, as 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 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 a natural diet for pets.
Domestic mice are given:

Mice breeding

Types of mice living in natural conditions breed with the onset of the warm season, and those living in houses or apartments - all year round. There are no mating rituals in rodents, but if two male mice claim one female, a fight often occurs between them. Pregnancy of the female lasts about 24 days, and up to 10 mice can appear in one litter. In a year, one female mouse displays up to 4 offspring. Puberty of individuals occurs after 2-3 months. Life span of mice under natural conditions does not exceed 9 months, and in captivity this figure can reach 8 years.

House mice are used as experimental animals in 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 types of mice often become pets. They quickly get used to their owner and easily find him by smell. For their maintenance, you need a spacious glass terrarium equipped with a drinking bowl, a feeder and a house. Caring for mice is not difficult, you just need to change the litter in a timely manner, give food and not touch the newborn mice with your hands.

• Translated from the Indo-European language, the word "mouse" means a thief.
• Contrary to popular belief, the strong smell of cheese repels rodents.
• A monument to the laboratory mouse was erected in the Novosibirsk Academgorodok.
• Spiny mice, in case of danger, can shed a small patch of skin to confuse the pursuer.
• Information that elephants are afraid of mice is just a myth.

Types of computer mice. There are no computer mice. From such a variety, even the head is spinning. But until recently, there was practically no choice. It would seem, what else can you think of? But it turns out it's possible. Every company that produces these small and necessary "animals" finds more and more new designs and functions for them too.

Which types of computer mice exist?

There are just not so many types. Here they are:

• Mechanical or ball (already practically not used);
• Optical;
• laser;
• Trackball mice.
• induction;
• Gyroscopic.

Mechanical or ball mice

Mechanical or ball mice can only be found among collectors. Although some seven years ago she was the only species. It was not very comfortable to work with it, but having no other species, we considered it to be a super-mouse.

She was heavy for weight and did not want to work without a rug. And her positioning left much to be desired. This was especially noticeable in graphics programs and games. And I had to clean it very often. What just did not well up under this ball? And if animals still live at home, then this process was repeated at least once a week.

I always had tweezers near the computer, because. my furry friends always strove to sleep near the computer, and their fluff clung to the rug, making it furry. Now I don't have that problem anymore. The ball "rodent" was replaced by a more modern mouse - an optical one.

Optical LED mouse

Optical LED mouse - works in a different way. It uses an LED and a sensor. It already works like a small camera that scans the surface of the table with its LED and photographs it. An optical mouse manages to take about a thousand such photos per second, and some types even more.

The data of these images is processed by a special microprocessor and sends a signal to the computer. The advantages of such a mouse are obvious. It doesn't need a mat, it's very light in weight and can easily scan almost any surface.

Optical laser mouse

Optical laser mouse - very similar to optical, but its principle of operation differs in that a laser is already used instead of a camera with an LED. That's why it's called laser.

This is a more advanced model of an optical mouse. She needs much less energy. The accuracy of reading data from the working surface is much higher than that of an optical mouse. It can even work on glass and mirror surfaces.

Trackball mouse

Trackball mouse - a device that uses a convex ball (trackball). The trackball is an inverted ball mouse. The ball is on top or side. It can be rotated with the palm of your hand or fingers, and the device itself stands still. The ball drives a pair of rollers. The new trackballs use optical sensors movement.

induction mice

induction mice - use a special pad that works on the principle of a graphics tablet.

Gyro mice

Gyro mice - with the help of a gyroscope, it recognizes movement not only on the surface, but also in space. It can be taken from the table and control the movement of the brush in the air.

These types of computer mice still exist in our markets.

Now a very large variety of such devices. Some designs deserve special attention. And I will describe them. Follow the site for updates.

For some, a small gray animal causes disgust, for others, tenderness. But whether a person wants it or not, the mouse is his constant companion. So why not get to know this animal better. How long do mice live? How do they triple their dwellings? What do they eat and how do they reproduce? How to choose a pet and provide him with comfortable conditions?

• Class: Mammals;
• Order: Rodents;
• Suborder: Mouse-like;
• Family: Mice;
• Subfamily: Mouse.

Mouse - description and external characteristics

All over the earth, excluding the extreme northern and high mountain regions, these small rodents are distributed. The closest relatives of mice are jerboas, mole rats, hamsters and dormice. And in a more distant relationship are rats, chinchillas, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs. In total, the Mouse subfamily unites 121 genera and more than 300 species.

The mouse is a medium-sized animal with an elongated and pointed muzzle, large rounded ears and bulging beady eyes. Long, bald or slightly feathered tail - distinguishing feature animal. The limbs, which are not the same in length, are adapted for digging, moving along vertical and horizontal surfaces. The body length of a rodent can vary from 3 to 20 cm, weight - from 15 to 50 g.

Mice have a special bite. On the bottom and upper jaws the animal has 2 chisel-shaped teeth that grow continuously. Rodents are forced to constantly grind them down, which is why their incisors are very sharp.

Animals from the Mice family have good eyesight and can distinguish between red and yellow shades. The habitual body temperature of these rodents ranges from 37.5 to 39⁰С. Maximum term mice have a lifespan of 4 years.

How mice behave in their natural environment

In order for rodents to maintain a constant body temperature, they need to be active in winter and summer, day and night. Gluttony and fussiness for mice - character traits helping to survive and leave offspring.

In autumn, the animals begin to collect provisions in a mink or on the surface of the ground, where the "warehouse" is masked by earth. And if in the off-season rodents are awake at night and sleep during the day, then in winter time activity is maintained around the clock. In spring and autumn, when there is a lack of food and temperature fluctuations not observed, mice actively multiply.

mice reside big families, since together it is easier for them to defend themselves, get food, build dwellings, and raise offspring. In a mouse flock there is a leader who maintains order in the group. Female mice are peaceful. But young males do not always put up with their subordinate position. The stomping of the hind legs and aggressive tail strikes indicate the intention of the animal to win the “throne”. Inter-family clashes can lead to the disintegration of the pack.

In burrows, mice spend most of their time raising their offspring, escaping from danger, storing food or resting after eating it. The maximum depth of the hole is 70 cm, and the total length of the passages can reach 20 m. Some species of mice build nests in thickets of tall grasses (baby mouse) or live in tree roots and old stumps (forest mouse).

Minks are temporary and permanent, and the latter can be summer and winter. Temporary animal dwellings are planned simply. The permanent mouse burrow has a spacious nesting chamber and several entrances. In summer burrows, where rodents give birth to children, bedding is made of fluff, blades of grass, shavings and feathers. And in winter - a pantry for food supplies is arranged.

What does a mouse eat in nature?

In summer and autumn, when the time comes for the harvest to ripen, the mice begin to actively prepare food supplies for the winter. The main food of animals is cereals, as well as seeds of various plants. Field mice love wheat, barley, oats, buckwheat.

Rodents living in forests feed on cedar nuts, hazel, maple, beech seeds, acorns, and small insects. And animals living near water bodies prefer to eat leaves, roots and stems of plants, berries, grasshoppers, caterpillars, larvae, spiders and other invertebrates. House mice living close to people readily adapt to the human diet and eat bread, meat, dairy products, and sweets.

Animals living in the wild drink very little. The mouse body independently produces water by breaking down food. Additional sources of moisture are the fleshy leaves of plants, fruits, vegetables.

Mouse Enemies

The mouse is the key to food chain many ecosystems. Many wild animals depend on the existence of this small rodent. For mice living in the forest, the main enemies are foxes, martens, arctic foxes, ferrets, ermines, weasels, lynxes and even wolves. Predators easily break holes and can eat up to 30 small animals per day.

Mice are the main food for snakes and large lizards. Such reptiles as a boa constrictor, python, viper, radiant snake swallow the victim whole. During the hunt, the snake freezes, and then abruptly pounces on the victim, biting it with poisonous teeth, and then waits for the animal to become motionless.

From above, mice are also in danger. Among the birds there are predators that differ in the power of their beak, visual acuity and hearing. These are owls, buzzards, hawks, eagles, owls, kites. They hunt during the day or at night, making swift attacks from the air.

The life expectancy of rodents directly depends on the conditions environment. The average indicator is 2-3 years. Factors such as climate, nutrition, infectious diseases and attacks by wild animals have the greatest influence on the lifespan of animals.

For mice, both frost and dry weather can become fatal, hot weather. Too sharp fluctuations in temperature destroy numerous colonies of rodents. Often associated with the weather and the ability to fully eat. An inadequate diet significantly shortens the life of a mouse.

Many species of mice that live away from humans live a little less than or more than a year. And an animal tamed by a person, receiving a balanced diet and care, can live up to 6 years.

reproduction in mice

The mouse is a polygamous animal. In nature, one male fertilizes from 2 to 12 females. For 12 months, mice have from 3 to 8 broods. The female reaches sexual maturity 10 weeks after birth. At this time, she begins estrus, which lasts 5 days and is expressed in a special behavior.

If, after coating, the female failed to become pregnant, a new estrus occurs within a week. In case of successful fertilization, after 17-24 days, the female animal is expected to give birth. In one litter there are from 3 to 9 cubs. Mouse females give birth at night. Babies, having been born, are not able to move, hear and see. They do not have hairline, and the size ranges from 2 to 3 cm. The mice develop rapidly:

• 3 days - a fluff appears on the body;
• 5 days - cubs begin to hear;
• 7 days - the body weight of the animal doubles;
• Day 14 - palpebral fissures erupt;
• Day 19 - mice begin to eat on their own;
• Day 25 - the length of the calf reaches 500 mm (the tail is shorter by 15-20 mm) and the mouse is already sexually mature.

Decorative mice develop a little more slowly. It is recommended to mate them no more than 2-3 times a year. Multiple births exhaust the female, and each subsequent offspring becomes weaker.

Types of wild mice

Shrew or shrew mouse (Myosorex)

Animals from the Shrew family are divided into only 14 species. This mouse with a long nose is small in size (6-10 cm). Only born cubs weigh less than 1 g. The nose of the animal, curved at the end, is called the proboscis. The coat of the animal is shiny, thick, silky; happens gray, ocher, reddish shades.

A mouse with a long cute nose orients itself in space thanks to its sense of smell. She is an omnivore, but prefers to eat insects, as well as some vertebrates (frogs, baby rodents, small reptiles). Without food, this animal can live no more than 10 hours.

White-toothed shrews live in large clusters in South America, Africa, Australia. This little mouse with a long nose feels great near bodies of water, during moist forests and low growths.

Japanese mouse (Sylvaemus mystacinus)

A mouse with large round ears and a long nose. It is also called Asia Minor. Inhabits the islands of Japan, the south-west of Georgia, as well as the Kuril Islands of Russia. Prefers highlands mixed forests, with dense shrubby undergrowth.

Japanese mice do not dig holes, inhabiting voids in trees and buildings, accumulations of stones and dense bushes. The length of the body and tail are almost equal (up to 13 cm). They breed only 6 warm months a year, during which time they give 2-3 litters of 3-6 cubs.

wood mouse (Sylvaemus sylvaticus)

A distinctive feature of the animal is a yellow round spot on the breast. The length of the rodent is 12 cm, the tail is 7-10 cm. These mice can occupy abandoned burrows, rotten stumps, voids under stones and other natural shelters. The wood mouse is especially common in Siberia, Western Asia, Altai, in the deciduous forests of Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. It feeds on cereals, seeds, nuts, and insects.

Mouse gerbil (Gerbillidae)

In the family of Mouse gerbils, they are distinguished into a separate subfamily, numbering more than 100 species of animals. The natural range of these animals is the arid steppes of Eastern Europe, African and Asian deserts and semi-deserts. They are active during the daytime; in winter they do not hibernate, but their lifestyle becomes more lethargic.

Outwardly, the gerbil mouse looks more like a rat. The length of the animal can reach 20 cm, and the weight is 250 g. The color of the animal is brownish-sandy on the back, and lighter on the chest. A well-furred long tail falls off in dangerous situations, a new one does not grow. The gerbil mouse can walk on its hind legs and jump over long distances (up to 4 m). It feeds on grains of wheat, barley, corn, millet, as well as fruits and nuts.

Baby mouse (Micromys minutus)

The genus name refers to the miniature size of the animal. Maximum length the body of the animal is 7 cm, and the tail is 5 cm. The animal prefers to live in the steppe and forest-steppe, in grain fields, in floodplain meadows. Among the grass, you can find spherical houses of this rodent, made of dry stems and leaves.

The baby mouse is distinguished by the fiery red color of the skin, which appears after the first molt. It feeds on invertebrates, green leaves, grains. The baby mouse is peaceful, quickly adapts to a new environment, so it can be tamed by people.

White mouse (Mus musculus)

It is also called a house or house mouse, because the animal has adapted to live next to a person. In living quarters, sheds, pantries, these rodents hide complex, multi-channel burrows, where they live in vast colonies. Not far from the burrows, they arrange storage for food: seeds, nuts, crackers, pieces of vegetables.

The white mouse is not a large animal, its length reaches 8-11 cm. A long tail covered with sparse wool, scaly rings are clearly visible on it. The color of the skin of the animal depends on the species, but on the back the pile is darker than on the stomach. The house mouse lives on all continents, in all climatic zones and is faithful companion person.

Grass Mouse (Arvicanthis)

The length of the body of an individual, together with the tail, can exceed 30 cm. Gray or brown wool consists of elongated soft hairs and stiff bristles, as well as hard spiked hairs in certain types. The rhythm of their life is similar to the human one - they are awake during the day and sleep at night.

Grass mice are native to Southeast Africa. These rodents love moisture, and live mainly in river floodplains, in humid tropical plantations. They can both dig holes and occupy other people's dwellings.

Field Mouse (Apodemus agrarius)

The field mouse is not like other rodents of the Mouse family. The animal has a clear, contrasting color stripe on the skin, which runs along the entire spine, from the muzzle to the warp of the tail. The size of the animal varies from 8 to 12 cm without a tail. The color, depending on the species, can vary from light gray to dark brown and black. The field mouse builds a dwelling on its own, or uses suitable structures.

The field mouse inhabits the territories of Western and Northern Europe, as well as part of Asia: China, Sakhalin, Taiwan. The animal loves meadows and fields, in deciduous thickets, but is also found in the city. The field mouse feeds on invertebrate insects, cereals, plant stems and fruits.

House mouse: pet choice

Decorative mice are friendly, not aggressive, clean, quickly get used to the owners, and it is very easy to care for them. When choosing an animal, you should pay attention to the habits and appearance of the rodent. An animal with good health looks like this:

• wool does not stick out, there are no bald patches;
• teeth are white, even;
• the animal has moist and shiny eyes;
• the animal does not have mucous discharge from the nostrils and eyes;
• the mouse is actively moving and eating.

Do not forget about how many years mice live. The maximum lifespan of these animals is 3-4 years, so it is better to choose a pet under the age of 12 months. It is necessary to pay attention to the gender of the rodent, since several males do not get along in one dwelling.

Males are slightly larger than females, their body resembles an elongated pear. A 30-day-old male mouse has shaped testicles under the tail. And in the female, from the 3rd day after birth, 5 pairs of rudimentary nipples are clearly visible.

A domestic mouse is a collective animal, so it is better to purchase several individuals. If further breeding of animals is planned, then before mating, males and females must be kept separately.

Thanks to modern breeding, decorative mice have hundreds of species, among which there are singing, waltzing, and animals with an unusual coat color (white albino mice, pure black mice, ashen and cream animals).

Some types of mice are especially popular:

• The Japanese pygmy mouse is very tiny, up to 5 cm long. The white skin is decorated with black and brown spots. Friendly, clean and energetic. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. There are mice in the litter of 5-7.
• The spiny mouse or akomis is a large decorative mouse with many needles located along the entire back. Color reddish-brown or blackish-red. The neck is framed by a voluminous fat hump. The nose is elongated, the eyes are convex, the ears are large, oval in shape. The mouse is very active, quickly gets used to people.
• Decorative African striped mouse - has an interesting coloration: light and dark stripes alternate along the body. The animal does not emit an unpleasant odor. It climbs well on vertical surfaces. The striped mouse is a very shy animal. In case of danger, it can pretend to be dead or jump to a height of up to 2.5 m. The body length rarely exceeds 10 cm.

Care and maintenance of mice at home

The house where decorative mice live can be a cage, an aquarium, a transparent plastic box. For a small number of animals, a dwelling measuring 25 * 45 * 22 cm is enough. The bottom of the terrarium is covered with sawdust from fruit trees or a hygienic filler made of corn, paper, straw. To change the litter decorative rodents need at least 1 time per week, but better every 3 days. From above, the terrarium is covered with a lid with holes for oxygen to enter.

Inside the house, several shelters are equipped, preferably at different heights. All types of mice are very active and run up to 40 km a day in their natural environment, so a running wheel should be in the terrarium. You can supply water to rodents through a hinged drinker or pour it into a small saucer.

The decorative mouse is an animal that easily catches colds and overheats. It is better to put the animal's house away from the window, protect the cage from drafts and bright sunlight. The ideal temperature for these rodents is 20-22⁰С.

What do decorative mice eat

All animals from the Mouse family are prone to obesity, so you need to know what a decorative mouse eats. The basis of the diet of the animal are cereals: barley, wheat, corn, sorghum. The grain must not be ground. Usually, house mice are very small and eat up to 1 tsp per day. stern.

The favorite delicacy of the animals are sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, caraway seeds, walnuts, peanuts and hazelnuts. Vegetables and fruits are necessary in the diet of the animal. It is better if the vegetables are green: cauliflower, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, parsley. And fruits are not very sweet and juicy: apple, banana, quince, pear, plum. Bread and egg white can be given occasionally.

What mice do not eat: citrus fruits, smoked meats, meat, food for cats and dogs.

Varieties of wild rodents have long been considered enemies of man. Mouse vole harms plantings of grain crops. The house mouse contaminates products with feces and urine, makes books, clothes, and interior items unusable. Many types of mice carry infectious diseases: salmonellosis, hepatitis, encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, false tuberculosis and others.

But mice also bring significant benefits to humans. Cosmetologists and doctors have been using mice to conduct all sorts of experiments for more than one century. This is due to the extraordinary fecundity of rodents and the similarity of the human and mouse genomes.

Zoologists grow special fodder mice for pythons, agamas, boas, geckos, snakes, ferrets, owls and cats. Sometimes decorative rodents are used for such purposes, which are sold to pet stores.

IN ancient greece the white mouse was considered a sacred animal. Thousand colonies of animals lived in the temples. They were the heroes of legends and myths. They thought that the white mouse helps the oracles see the future, and the active reproduction of animals promised prosperity and a good harvest. The black mouse was considered a product of dirt and was subject to extermination.

In Japan, they believed that a white mouse brings happiness. Seeing a place where a colony of rodents lives is a good sign, and a dead mouse meant grief. The Chinese considered this animal a symbol of wisdom and honesty. And among the ancient Persians and Egyptians, on the contrary, both the white and black mice were endowed with destructive, evil force. They associated the invasions of rodents with the intrigues of the terrible god Ahriman.

Cats appeared in the human house due to the dominance of harmful rodents. Even 6 thousand years ago, people began to feed wild cats, and those, in turn, began to protect their food supplies. But even now, mice for a domestic cat remain a favorite pastime. This long-standing enmity is the basis of many fairy tales, songs, cartoons, and proverbs. In the age of the Internet, special videos for cats appeared. The mouse on the screen for a domestic cat becomes an occasion to remember their hunting instincts.

• Mice don't like cheese at all. Rather, animals will prefer whole grains or seeds. The favorite delicacy for these little rodents is smoked lard. It is he who is often used as bait in a mousetrap.
• Just one year - that's how long a male marsupial mouse lives. Nature gave these animals only 2 weeks to breed. After mating, which lasts 10-13 hours, the male dies to give life to his babies.
• Great importance in communication between mice has an odor. With the help of "odorous" marks (from feces, urine, secretions from the glands), rodents delimit the territory, orient themselves in space, and transmit information to each other. Each mouse family has its own unique smell, which speaks of the animal's genetic makeup.
• Cheerful goggle-eyed mouse, restless baby - the constant heroine of the modern multimedia world. Fun tablet and phone games offer to catch the mouse on the screen; for a domestic cat, this can become a real drug, and for its owner, it can be a reason to laugh heartily.

Mice are the smallest rodents on the planet, bringing people both benefit and harm. They spoil crop stocks and are carriers of dangerous infections. But the use of mice in scientific research helps save lives.

Varied in appearance and way of life, mice are often easy prey for predatory reptiles, birds, and mammals. Because of this, animals rarely live long life. small size, calm temperament and funny behavior allow you to keep these rodents as pets. Animals that are lucky enough to become human favorites live much longer than their wild relatives.