| Mice | |
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This section is dedicated to mice. Many people think of mice as filthy little creatures, but in my opinion, mice are very interesting little rodents. The fancy mouse we see in pet stores today is basically a domesticated version of the same common house mouse that we see as a plague in our homes (Scientific name: Mus musculus,) Their average size is from 2-3 inches (without the tail), males being bigger than females.
In the wild, fancy mice are agouti colored. This color is brown with black tickling and a lighter belly. The tickling is because each hair is half brown and half black. The first records of domesticated mice date from 1787 in Japan, having appeared some color mutations already. Today, in captivity there are several color mutations available that include albino, black, chocolate, black eyed white, siamese and others. These colors can come in solid or spotted. Besides hair color, there are also fur variations, like satin, grizzly and others. To learn more about mice colors and fur types, check out this link. Today there are two varieties of fancy mice: English (or fancy) mice and american (or feeder) mice. You can see the differences between the two varieties here. The average lifespan of a mouse is 1-2 years.
Mice are highly social animals, and should be kept in groups. However, males are highly territorial and should not be kept with other males. Females can be kept in grops as large as the cage permits. Here you can calculate how many mice you can safely put in the cage you have. Introducing female mice is also very simple. Put the ones you want to introduce in a neutral place (like a plastic bin that hasn't been used as a cage for the ones you want to introduce or a bathtub, with the drain shut) and watch them for some time to make sure that they don't fight. Remember to clean out the cage very thoroughly, as well as all the toys, to eliminate all the smell from it's previous occupants, and prevent territorial fights. As already said, mice are social animals, but males fight with each other. This means that if you want a male mouse, it should be kept alone. Male mice also have a stronger, musky smell than females. When housing a single male mouse, you have to take into consideration that it needs a more stimulating environment than a group of females. This means that it needs more toys and more complex set-ups that constantly change, so they can keep their little minds busy and don't get depressed. Females can be housed in groups. Females have a smell less strong than males, but remember that the more mice you have, the stronger the smell it will be, even if they are females.
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