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A mouse (Plural mice) is a mammal that belongs to one of numerous species of small rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (Mus musculus). It is found in nearly all countries and, as the laboratory mouse, serves as an important model organism in biology; it is also a popular pet. (Non-biologists often use the term "mouse" synonymously with "Mus musculus"). The American white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) also sometimes live in houses. These species of mice live commensally with humans. Although they may live up to two years in the lab, the average mouse in the wild lives only about 3 months, primarily due to heavy predation. Cats, wild dogs, foxes, birds-of-prey, snakes and even certain kinds of insects have been known to prey heavily upon mice. Nevertheless, due to its incredible adaptability to almost any environment, and its ability to live commensaly to humans, the house mouse is regarded to be the second most successful mammalian species living on earth today. Mice can be harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. The original motivation for the domestication of cats is thought to have been for their predation of mice and their relatives, the rats. A mouse trap can also be used to catch mice. The mouse has bichromatic vision, lacking a photopigment that can detect red light. There are 38 species in the genus Mus. Discoloration in mice was supposedly first noticed in China by 1100 BC, where a white mouse was discovered. However, there is sufficient evidence to believe that white mice were first noticed before that, in the times of the Greeks and Ancient Rome.
Diet Mice generally live on a herbivore diet, but are actually omnivores: they will eat meat, the dead bodies of other mice, and have been observed to self-cannibalise their tails during starvation. Grasshopper mice are an exception to the rule, being the only fully carnivorous mice. Mice eat grains, fruits, and seeds for a regular diet, which is the main reason they damage crops. Mice in laboratory experiments Mice are the most commonly utilized animal research model with hundreds of established in bred, out bred, and transgenic strains. In the United States, they are not covered under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) (administered by the USDA, APHIS) as an animal. However, the Public Health Service Act (PHS) as administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) does cover their humane treatment. Mice are common experimental animals in biology and psychology primarily because they are mammals, and thus share a high degree of homology with humans, but can be manipulated in ways that would be considered unethical to do with humans. They are a primary mammalian model organism, as are rats. Additional benefits of mice in laboratory research include the fact that mice are small, inexpensive, and several generations can be observed in a short period of time. The mouse genome has been sequenced, and most mouse genes have human homologs. Mice as Feeder Animals
Mice as pets Main article: Fancy mouse Mice are now one of the leading rodent pets. Although their main purpose in pet stores is to be sold as snake food, many people buy mice as companion pets. Some common products used are: Some benefits of having mice as pets are There are, however, some disadvantages to having pet mice Taxonomy of the genus Mus Mice in popular culture Trivia An estimated half a million mice live on the London Underground. Two mice of opposite sexes can produce up to 5,000 descendants in a year. See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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