Small rodents best known through the house mouse, which lives alongside people almost everywhere. It was domesticated as the pet “fancy mouse” and as the laboratory mouse, one of biology’s most important model animals.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Awake when?Night
Mostly crepuscular or nocturnal; mice avoid bright light.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Commonly
The fancy mouse, a domesticated house mouse, is a common pet, though less popular than some other rodents.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
HabitatTowns, Farmland, Grassland
ColoursBrown, Grey, White
SizeTiny
Length6.5–9.5 cm, not counting the tail
Weight12–30 g
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives ingroups
Lives for1–2 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide alongside people. The house mouse’s subspecies come from southern Asia and western Europe.
Did you know
Sings ultrasonic songs to attract mates, far above our hearing.
Often confused with
- Rat
Mice and rats are told apart mainly by size: “rat” is used for the bigger kinds, “mouse” for the smaller.
Compare side by side - Shrew
A shrew has sharp, spiky teeth and a longer nose; a mouse is a rodent with gnawing front teeth.
Compare side by side
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