Mouse Facts

About the mouse

The best-known kind is the house mouse, Mus musculus. In everyday naming, a newly found muroid rodent tends to be called a mouse if it is small and a rat if it is larger, so the words are not strict scientific groups. The deer mouse, for example, belongs to a different genus. Mice are sold as pets, though they trail some other rodents in popularity, and field mice are common in some areas.

Cats, foxes, wild dogs, snakes, birds of prey, certain arthropods and some large lizards all eat mice, yet mouse numbers stay high. They adapt to almost any setting, which makes them one of the most successful mammal groups on Earth. The white lab mouse is the most famous strain, prized in research for its uniform traits. Mice also damage crops and buildings and spread disease.

Did you know?

• Pet mice often differ a lot in size from wild house mice because of breeding.
• Mice carry parasites and can spread disease through their droppings.
• Mice often move into homes looking for food and shelter.