Biology of Mice
Welcome to Rodents for Writers: Mice. The next part of my creature features series focusing on rodents for March.
Mice, like rats, are in the order Rodentia and the family Muridae. Lots of different species exist in the world but the most relevant to us is the house mouse Mus musculus. They live in the wild but find it beneficial to live around human society.
People keep mice as pets, domesticated and bred to have a myriad of coat colours. Laboratories use domestic mice as model organisms for biology and medical research.
A small species with a body length of 7.5 – 10cm and a tail length of 5 – 10cm, short single coats and very little hair on the ears and tail. Mice have good skills including jumping, climbing and swimming.
Mice adapt to and live in all kinds of conditions, inside buildings, open fields and woodlands. They get into houses very easily and seek the warmth during the autumn and winter months. Mice are crepuscular, more active at night than during the day. They avoid bright light.
Mice eat plant material but they are omnivores and will eat other things including meat. They exhibit coprophagia, eating their own faeces, in order to get nutrients that are produced by their gut microbiome. Of course, mice are a common prey species for cats, dogs, birds of prey, snakes and other carnivores.
Their social structure depends on the availability of food and shelter. Groups of females exhibit co-operative parenting, sharing responsibility for all the offspring. Males are territorial and aggressive to competitors.
Senses
Mice have vision similar to rats, they are dichromats, only having two kinds of cone colour receptors. Humans have three. They do have ultraviolet sensitive cones, allowing them to see UV light. Scientists genetically engineered mice to have the third type of cone to see a wider range of colours.
Pheromones form an essential part of communication for mice, so they have a strong sense of smell. The vomeronasal organ (Jacobson’s organ) plays a big role in this, its function is to detect pheromones and communicate with the brain.
The vibrissae (whiskers) allow mice to sense surfaces and air movements, even in poor lighting. The whiskers connect directly to nerves and are extremely sensitive.
Lifespan
Wild mice live less than a year on average due to predation and exposure to harsh environments. Domesticated mice average two to three years. The record for longest life of a domestic mouse is just a few days shy of five years. In my experience, mice average two years of life when well cared for.
History of Mice and Humans
Mice have lived around humans for a long time, invading food stores and homes. Cats domestication is in part because of the presence of mice in our homes and businesses. Explorers and colonisers spread mice across the world on their ships.
Mice as Pets
The earliest recorded mention of mice as pets comes from Erya, the oldest Chinese dictionary from 1100 B.C. In the modern world, mice breeders have created many ‘fancy’ mice with different colouration and a docile temperament.
Mice are also bred as food for carnivorous pets like snakes and birds of prey. Just to note that feeding live rodents is illegal in the UK. This is for the welfare of both the rodents and the predator animals. Mice can injure snakes if they are not eaten immediately.
Pests and Pestilence
One of the most common household and commercial pests, mice take advantage of food being left out and the warmth of our homes. They get in through tiny spaces and nest in dark places.
Mice contaminate food, spread parasites like fleas and can transmit infectious diseases like leptospirosis. Rats are more important for disease transmission but mice still pose a risk. Mice are an invasive species in many places including New Zealand.
Laboratory Mice
Scientists use mice more commonly than any other mammal in laboratories. This is because mice are so similar to humans. The ‘transgenic mice’ are genetically modified in order to study specific pathology or for drug development. They form an essential part of oncology, the study of cancers. So it has nothing to do with transgender people. Not every word with ‘trans-‘ in it is related to being transgender.
Culture
Mice feature in children’s stories and visual media a lot. They are definitely treated better than rats are, as well. The most famous example is of course the mascot of the Walt Disney Company: Mickey Mouse.
Beatrix Potter wrote several stories featuring mice. Other examples include Basil the Great Mouse Detective, Stuart Little and Jerry from Tom and Jerry. In Roald Dahl’s The Witches, a child is turned into a mouse. I bet you can think of many more examples.
Thanks for reading this edition of rodents for writers: mice. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think, feel free to get in touch with any questions.
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