Mice q's??

Question

can mice be kept together or will they kill each other like hammys do
and if they can be kept together, how many in a ten gallon tank?

Answer 1

Female mice can usually be kept together in groups as large as you would like. I have two myself and they love having company as they are social animals and get bored very easily.
If they are not from the same litter then you should watch them carefully when they are first introduced as some fights may occur.

Male mice should not be kept together as they will fight for dominance and this is usually a fight to the death.

Of course you can keep male and female mice together but you will very quickly have alot of mice!

A ten gallon tank would be suitable for up to ten mice as they don't grow very large and like to huddle together for warmth and comfort.

Just make sure they have lots of toys to stop them getting bored and fighting.

Answer 2

Yes they can be kept together silly. When you buy them at the pet store they're all in the same tank. I'm not sure how many you should have in a tank, but just keep an eye on them. If there's one running around and fighting with the others then separate him from the rest.

Answer 3

they can be kept together,but putting males together will usually cause a fight unless they have been raised together already.its just easier with females.ya dont wana get male and female together unless your planning on babies because they mate like every 2 weeks.10 galon tank id say will hold about 10 mice comfertably including all their toys etc

Answer 4

mice can be kept together. if you don't want babies make sure that they are the same sex. i wouldn't advise more than two or three in that tank.

Answer 5

Yes, they won't kill each other unless you forget to feed them.

Answer 6

hope this will put your fears to rest. they are very caring mammals, just like humans!

Mouse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Mouse (disambiguation).
How to read a taxobox
Mouse
Fossil range: Late Miocene - Recent
House mouse, Mus musculus
House mouse, Mus musculus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Mus
Linnaeus, 1758
Feral mouse
Feral mouse

A mouse (plural mice) is a rodent that belongs to one of numerous species of small mammals. 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. 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 commensally with humans, the mouse is regarded to be the second most successful mammalian species living on earth today, after the rat.

Mice can be harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. In the Western United States, breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse feces has been linked to the deadly hantavirus. The original motivation for the domestication of cats is thought to have been for their predation of mice and their relatives, the rats.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Body and behavior
* 2 Taxonomy of the genus Mus
* 3 Laboratory mice
* 4 History
* 5 Mice as food
o 5.1 Mice as feeder animals
* 6 Mice as pets
* 7 Mice in popular culture
* 8 See also
* 9 References
* 10 External links

[edit] Body and behavior

Mice are small rodents, resembling diminutive rats. Usually they have pointed snouts and small ears. The body is typically elongated with slender usually hairless tails, but different types of mice show large variations. Body dimensions vary considerably by species, though some approximate values are available: total length 28-130 mm, mass 2.5 to >34g[1]

Mice generally live on an 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. They are also known to eat their own feces.

Mice are social animals. They prefer to live in groups. Male rivalry can become harmful for the animals, especially when a group is confined to a small space. The natural habitats of the mouse are very diverse. Mice can be found in forests, savannahs, grasslands and rocky habitats [1]. In Africa they tend to particularly like forest edge, derived savannah, and (as elsewhere) agricultural areas. Mice build nests for protection and warmth, but species differ in their preferences: M. minutoides nests in shallow burrows; M. caroli and M. cervicolor burrow; and M. shortridgei and M. pahari nest aboveground. Most species will construct nests of grass, fibers, and shredded material[1]. Mice do not hibernate.

The mouse has bichromatic vision, lacking a photopigment that can detect red light.[2]

[edit] Taxonomy of the genus Mus

The term "mouse" in common usage is roughly equivalent to the taxonomic term Mus, while house mouse is equivalent to Mus musculus. In common language the term "mouse" often refers incorrectly to Mus musculus. However, there are 38 species of mice (in the genus Mus); see table below.
Genus Mus
Subgenus Pyromys Subgenus Coelomys Subgenus Mus Subgenus Nannomys

* Mus platythrix
* Mus saxicola
* Mus philipsi
* Mus shortridgei
* Mus fernandoni



* Mus mayori
* Mus pahari
* Mus crociduroides
* Mus vulcani
* Mus famulus



* Mus caroli
* Mus cervicolor
* Mus cookii
* Mus cypriacus
* Mus booduga
* Mus terricolor



* Mus musculus
* Mus spretus
* Mus macedonicus
* Mus spicelegus
* Mus fragilicauda



* Mus callewaerti
* Mus setulosus
* Mus triton
* Mus bufo
* Mus tenellus



* Mus haussa
* Mus mattheyi
* Mus indutus
* Mus setzeri
* Mus musculoides



* Mus minutoides
* Mus orangiae
* Mus mahomet
* Mus sorella
* Mus kasaicus



* Mus neavei
* Mus oubanguii
* Mus goundae
* Mus baoulei

[edit] Laboratory mice

Mice are the most commonly utilized animal research model with hundreds of established inbred, outbred, 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. The mouse genome has been sequenced, and virtually all mouse genes have human homologs. They can also be manipulated in ways that would be considered unethical to do with humans. Mice are a primary mammalian model organism, as are rats.

There are many additional benefits of mice in laboratory research. Mice are small, inexpensive, easily maintained, and can reproduce quickly. Several generations of mice can be observed in a relatively short period of time. Mice are generally very docile if raised from birth and given sufficient human contact. However, certain strains have been known to be quite temperamental.

[edit] History

Mouse-like species are among the oldest mammals. It has been proposed that higher mammals evolved from rodent-like species many million years ago.

Mice have been known to humans since antiquity. The Romans differentiated poorly between mice and rats, calling rats Mus Maximus (big mouse) and referring to mice as Mus Minimus (little mouse). In Spanish similar term are in use: ratón for mouse and rata for rat.[1]

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.

The word "mouse" and the word muscle are related. Muscle stems from musculus meaning small mouse - possibly because of a similarity in shape.[2][3] The word "mouse" is a cognate of Sanskrit mush meaning 'to steal,' which is also cognate with mys in Old Greek and mus in Latin.[4]

[edit] Mice as food

Humans have eaten mice since prehistoric times. They are still eaten as a delicacy throughout eastern Zambia and northern Malawi, where they are an important source of protein.[5]

[edit] Mice as feeder animals
"Pinkie" mice for sale as reptile food.
"Pinkie" mice for sale as reptile food.

A common use of mice is to feed many species of snakes, lizards, tarantulas, and birds of prey. Most US pet stores now carry mice for this purpose. Because they breed quickly, grow quickly, are easy to care for, they can be sold in a wide variety of sizes. This makes them suitable for consumption by animals of many different sizes. Mice also seem to be a desirable food item for a very large variety of carnivores. Common terms used to refer to different age/size mice are pinkies, fuzzies, hoppers, and adults. Pinkies are newborn mice that have not yet grown fur. Fuzzies have some fur but are generally not very mobile, hoppers have a full coat of hair and are fully mobile but are smaller than adult mice. These terms also refer to the various growth stages of rats (also see Fancy rat).

Mice specifically bred for pets and feeders are sometimes called fancy mice.

[edit] Mice as pets

Main article: Fancy mouse

Pet Mice
Pet Mice

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 mouse care products are:

* Cage- Usually a hamster or gerbil cage, but special mouse cages are now available. You can also use a small aquarium (5 gallons for up to 3 mice, 10 gallons for 8 or so mice) with a mesh top, so there is no risk of them escaping.
* Food- Special pelleted and seed-based food is available. Mice can generally eat most rodent food (for rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, etc)
* Bedding- Usually hardwoods, such as aspen, though shredded, uninked paper or recycled virgin wood pulp can also be used. Cedar or pine should not be used because they contain harmful liquids that can damage any rodent's respiratory system. Corn cob bedding should also not be used because it promotes Aspergillis fungus and can grow mold once it gets wet. It also is quite rough on their feet. Whatever the bedding material, there should be at least 2 inches for digging and burrowing purposes.

Some benefits of having mice as pets are

* Minimal shedding and allergens
* Entertaining and affectionate
* Inexpensive
* Clean (contrary to popular belief)
* Socially self-sufficient (when in a group of other mice)
* Significantly less likely to bite than other rodent pets
* Mice are quite intelligent given their size

There are, however, some disadvantages to having pet mice

* Small and quite fragile (not as easy to handle as a dog or a cat)
* Nocturnal
* Frequent eye infections under stress
* Easily subject to disease when without optimal care
* Frequent reproduction
* Short lifespan

[edit] Mice in popular culture

* Main article: Mice in fiction
* In Of Mice and Men, the novel by John Steinbeck, the character Lennie has a particular fascination of mice.
* The cartoons Danger Mouse and Mighty Mouse also depict mice with high regard.
* The smartest organisms in the universe in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy are mice.
* One of the two heroes in a popular cartoon Tom and Jerry is a mouse named Jerry, who is portrayed as engaging in perpetual, yet sometimes friendly, combat with the other hero, a cat named Tom.
* The main characters in a cartoon called Pinky and the Brain.
* The widely known Mickey Mouse is the spokesman of Disney.
* The famous Geronimo Stilton is the protagonist of the eponymous book series.
* Mice are portrayed as heroes and have human-like characteristics in the book series Redwall.
* All of the Jews in Maus a graphic novel about the Holocaust are depicted as mice.
* The cartoon character Speedy Gonzalez is a mouse
* Edward Delacroix trains a mouse who lives to be well over 60 years old in The Green Mile
* The cartoon series Biker Mice from Mars features a race of humanoid Martian Cave Mice.
* In pickle comics (Taiwan), fat mouse and longnose mouse are important characters.

[edit] See also
Look up Mouse in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Mus
Wikispecies has information related to:
Mus

* House mouse
* Mouse trap
* Mice in fiction
* Fancy mouse
* Fear of mice
* Vacanti mouse

[edit] References

1. ^ a b c Nowak, Ronald M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1936 pp. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
2. ^ Jacobs GH, Williams GA, Fenwick JA. Influence of cone pigment co-expression on spectral sensitivity and color vision in the mouse. Vision Res. 2004; 44(14):1615-22

[edit] External links

* Impact of Mice on endangered species
* High-Resolution Images of the Mouse Brain
* E. Eisen chapter 1: history of the mouse
* Discoloration in mice; The history of mice
* Rat@Genesh 'Ganesh rides a Mouse'

Mice as pets

* Fancy Mice 'A complete resource for pet owners and show breeders'
* PetCo (see care sheets for pet mouse information)
* Mice at PetWebSite
* Mice fansite
* Mice fanlisting
* Mice as pets