Mouse

Description

A small rodent (Mus Musculus), such as the house mouse (Mus Domesticus), that is found throughout the world, except Antartica. Mice are generally considered pests, but some species are kept as pets and others are used in laboratory experiments. Mice eat seeds, insects, vegetation, and many other items. They can rapidly damage collections by chewing through fabric, wood, leather, and other types of containers to reach food or create a nesting site. Signs of mouse activity include gnaw marks, fecal pellets, urine stains, and mousy odor (MuseumPests.net).

Synonyms and Related Terms

mice (pl.); Mus Musculus; Mus Domesticus (house mouse); mus (Dan., Sven.); Maus (Deut.); ratón (Esp.); souris (Fr.); muis (Ned.); mysz (Pol.);

House mouse Mus domesticus0

Other Properties

Size=5-8 in (12-21 cm); color=gray or brown; Tail=semi-hairless and qbout equal in length to the body

Litter size=5-7 pups; Gestation=18-21 days; Lifespan=1-2 years

Additional Information

º MuseumPests.net: House Mouse

Additional Images

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  Mouse

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  Mouse

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• Website address 1 Comment: Olympus Microscopy Resource Center at http://www.olympusmicro.com/galleries/polarizedlight/pages/mousehairsmall.html

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse (Accessed Nov. 9, 2005)