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Species
Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
- Trans-NIH Mouse Initiative
- Mouse Mutagenesis Center for Developmental Defects
- Mouse Genome Informatics
- Comparative Toxicogenomics Database
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Indra Neil Sarkar |
Source | No source database. |
These mice are often common in cultivated fields and in and around cabins and barns. Mus musculus lives in houses, groceries, factories, grain storage buildings, old fields, pastures, and roadsides.
License | All Rights Reserved |
Rights holder/Author | Discover Life, Don Linzey, Christy Brecht |
Source | No source database. |
The house mouse (Mus musculus) probably has a world distribution more extensive than any mammal apart from humans. Its geographic spread has been facilitated by its commensal relationship with humans which extends back at least 8,000 years. They do considerable damage by destroying crops and consuming and/or contaminating food supplies intended for human consumption. They are prolific breeders, sometimes errupting and reaching plague proportions. They have also been implicated in the extinction of indigenous species in ecosytems they have invaded and colonised which are outside their natural range. An important factor in the success of the house mouse is their behavioural plasticity brought about by the decoupling of genetics and behaviour. This enables the house mouse to adapt quickly and to survive and prosper in new environments.
License | All Rights Reserved |
Rights holder/Author | Conservation Commons |
Source | No source database. |
Waltzing, shaking, and singing mice are other names for certain types of house mice. Some are known as singing mice because of the twitterings they emit while in the nest. Some forms, known as shaking or waltzing mice, move erratically, which is how they get their name.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Mus_musculus/ |
Mus musculus was originally a Palaearctic species, but through its close association with humans it has been widely introduced across the globe (Musser and Carleton, 2005). The species is widespread over all continents, except Antarctica, and has become established in North and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, and many oceanic islands (Macholán 1999). The list of countries of occurrence is incomplete.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | © International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |
Source | http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/13972 |
Maximum longevity: 4 years (captivity) Observations: A major model of biomedical research, mice are amongst the fastest ageing mammals exhibiting a variety of physiological, functional and pathological changes with age. The record longevity for normal mice is 4 years, belonging to one wild-derived specimen (Miller et al. 2002). Mutant and caloric restricted mice, however, can live over 4 years (Bartke and Brown-Borg 2004), though these are not deemed suitable for species comparisons. Record longevity belongs to a mutant dwarf mouse that lived 1819 days (Andrzej Bartke, pers. comm.). Smaller mice tend to live longer (Miller et al. 2002).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002 - 2009 by Joao Pedro de Magalhaes |
Source | http://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Mus_musculus |
The house mouse is one of the most widely distributed and successful mammals in the world (2). It has dull greyish-brown fur and the tail, which is the same length as the body, is thicker and scalier than that of other species of mice (3). It is accompanied by a distinctive strong 'stale' odour and its presence can easily be detected by means of its droppings (2). Forms of this species living in association with man ('commensal' forms) tend to be larger and darker than 'wild' forms, and have longer tails (3). The voice is a familiar high-pitched 'squeak' (3).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/house-mouse/mus-musculus/ |
Mice can jump a vertical distance of over 12 inches.
License | All Rights Reserved |
Rights holder/Author | European Bioinformatics Institute |
Source | No source database. |
It is thought that the house mouse originated on the steppes of central Asia and possibly the Mediterranean area. It is now found around the world as a result of introduction by humans. It is known that the species has been present in Britain since at least the Iron Age, as remains have been found in deposits dating from this period. At present, the species is found throughout Britain and Ireland where there are human settlements (3).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/house-mouse/mus-musculus/ |
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Eimeria falciformis endoparasitises Mus musculus
Other: sole host/prey
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
tapeworm of Hymenolepis nana endoparasitises intestine of Mus musculus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
Nosopsyllus fasciatus sucks the blood of body of Mus musculus
Other: major host/prey
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | BioImages, BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK) |
Source | http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/Mus_musculus.htm |