AY Honors/Small Mammal Pets/Answer Key

White fancy mouse

Fancy mice ("fancy", in this context, means "hobby") are domesticated versions of the common or house mouse (Mus musculus).

Physical description

Fancy mice are approximately 16-18 cm long from nose to the tip of the tail, and weigh about 35 g for females and 50 g for males. As fancy mice have a different process of natural selection than their wild cousins, they come in a variety of colors and patterns. Most fancy mice tend to be black, brown, or white in their primary color, but others (blue, champagne, white-albino, chocolate, cream, dove, fawn, lilac, red, silver, or cinnamon) in color are available. Female mice are called does and males are called bucks.

Mice as pets

A tame black fancy mouse

Mice are kept as pets in many countries for a number of reasons. Fancy mice are small, inexpensive, clean, and generally have a good temperament. Female mice are more popular with many owners since they tend to cohabitate with other mice better than males. Additionally, the urine of female fancy mice does not contain as strong of an odor as that of the male mice. Bucks will fight with each other, unless they were introduced at a very young age, and they produce urine with a strong, musky smell. Some people, however, prefer the personality and curiosity of male mice. It is a good idea to keep fancy mice in pairs if possible, since they are sociable animals. However, if a buck and a doe of breeding age are put in the same cage they will keep reproducing every three weeks until separated.

Many mice keep ending up in the animal rescue, because people keep males and females together all the time. They reproduce rapidly in a population explosion and the owner finds himself soon with hundreds of mice.

Caging

Mice should be kept in well-ventilated areas. Fish tanks or cages with bars and plastic flooring make good housing. Give attention that the distance between the bars is below than 9mm. Also at the doors. It is no problem for young mice to force themselves through a cage with wider bars, and it's dangerous when they get stuck there.

The best products for in-cage bedding are aspen wood shavings, dried corn cob, or a commercial paper-based material. Mice can also be given newspaper with black-and-white printing for nesting. But mice should not be given cedar shavings, as the oils in the wood are unhealthy. Small hide-aways and toys (such as a cardboard tube) are also good to have in the cage. Comercial toys are also available.

Cat owners must also take special precautions to ensure that the mouse's housing is secure, as even the friendliest of domestic cats have been known to torment or kill fancy mice if given the chance.

Feeding

Food for fancy mice is relatively inexpensive. Veterenarians generally recomend a product called lab block, a scientifically-formulated blend originally desinged for mice in laboratories. Dry dog food is another good option when lab block is unavailable, as it offers balanced nutrition for a mouse and helps keep their teeth conditioned. Special mice food found in pet stores makes an also good diet. In order to keep variety in their diets, mice can also eat oats, oily seeds, clean egg shell, breakfast cereal, and stale bread. Fruit and vegetables can be offered occasionally. They should also have clean water at all times and some sort of chewing wood in order to keep their teeth from growing too long.

Breeding mice

It is important to consider breeding carefully and to do so thoughtfully due to the very fast reproducton rate of mice, and the housing of the young.

Mice should not be bred before 12 weeks or after 8 months. Doing so can be very dangerous and some mice can even die while giving birth. Don't forget, when a mouse gets to 9 months old they are already very old. Bucks and does should be housed in separate enclosures until you want to breed. When the time comes you can place them together. Place the doe in the buck's tank, otherwise the doe will fight with the buck to defend her territory. Does come into heat around every five days, so it is best to leave them together for ten days or so.

Baby Mice.

You can tell when a mouse is pregnant because they grow very round near to the time of birth. The gestation period goes 18 - 21 days. She will likely give birth to 8-12 though it can be more. Its best to remove the buck otherwise he will mate with the female as soon as the first litter is born, putting a huge strain on the mother, unborn litter and the new babies.

Baby mice (pups) are born blind, naked and deaf. Their eyes are closed and ears are stuck to the sides of their heads. It’s best to leave the mother alone for a while, otherwise she might panic and eat the babies. She might also eat any dead or sickly offspring, getting the litter down to a reasonable size. You can tell if the babies have drunk any milk for their tummies turn white.

Hair begins to grow at two to four days; you can see what the patches in marked mice will look like now. Ears open at three to five days and they will start vocalising more. Eyes open at 14 days and now the babies will start exploring the world around them. At 3 weeks old they look like a miniture versions of adult mice. At 4-5 weeks pups must be separated otherwise they will breed with their siblings.

Mice clubs

Many fancy mice clubs have been set up around the globe. Shows are also held so owners can display their mice. See External links below.

External links

• Rat & Mouse Club of America
• Mice as Pets
• Varieties of Fancy Mice
• National Mouse Club
• Mouse Club of Germany