Mice - A little bit of information about them.

Mice

A mouse is a common name for any small member of three families of rodents. The word mouse has no exact meaning. Mice are populated across the world, but they are usually named as Eurasian and American mice. Fields and buildings are homes for these animals. Mice and rats consume and damage large areas of food and spread diseases.

Types of Mice

House Mice

The best known mice are house mice. They belong to the MURIDAE family. The house mouse lives in many places. Even though the house mouse is a pest, it has been very useful to humans: albino forms have been used for many years as laboratory animals.

Pocket Mice

In the HETEROMYIDAE family, an example is the pocket mouse of North America. The pocket mouse has external, fur lined cheek pouches that they carry seeds and other foods into their burrows.

Jumping Mice

Jumping mice are in the ZAPODIDAE family. Jumping mice have long hind legs and very long tails that are used to balance themselves as they jump. A Jumping mouse's habitat is usually above the equator in fields or meadows.

Grasshopper Mouse

In the CRICETIDAE family, an example is the grasshopper mouse of North America. It is small and has a fat body. It is a unique animal because of the way it eats grasshoppers and other insects, unlike other mice that eat other grains and other plant foods.

Dormouse

The dormouse is in the order of the RODOENTIA family. Most dormice have long ears, bushy tails, and fine soft fur. They eat at night on insects and nuts. During the winter, their body temperature and respiration drop very fast. This could last for up to six months. They build a nest for their babies. They usually have about four babies, and give birth twice. The babies will grow to be about seven inches long.

Field Mice

The field mouse is also called the meadow mouse, and is the most common mouse in the United States. They are small rodents that usually live in the eastern hemisphere, but can be found in the United States. Please read on to find out more about mice!

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This page last updated on 03/30/98