Mice - New World Mice (hesperomyinae), Deer Mice, House Mice, Wood Mice, Spiny Mice - Old World mice (Murinae)
species rats suborder family
Mice are small fury mammals, usually living on the ground, with bright beady eyes, rounded ears, and long tails. Mice live all around the world, in almost every habitat, and are a very important part of nature. They are typically vegetarians, often eating seeds and grain, but some species have developed much more comprehensive diets. Known for their high rates of reproduction, females are normally pregnant for three or four weeks and give birth to multiple young. In most species, the young are naked, blind, and helpless at birth. Mice are an important source of food for numerous animals and are preyed upon by a wide variety of predators, ranging from owls to weasels. Mice also impact humans in a variety of ways.
Belonging to the order Rodentia, mice, along with other types of rodents, are further classified in the suborder Myomoxpha. This is a huge suborder. In fact, more than one quarter of all mammal species on Earth belong to the suborder Myomorpha, which includes five families: rats and mice (Muridae), dormice (Gliridae and Seleviniidae), jerboas (Dipodidae), and jumping mice and birch mice (Zapodidae). The family Muridae is the largest family, containing 1,082 species of mice, rats, voles, lemmings, hamsters and gerbils. While there are 14 subfamilies within this family, the vast majority of these species belong to four subfamilies: the New World rats and mice (Hesperomyinae), the Old World rats and mice (Murinae), gerbils (Gerbillinae), and voles and lemmings (Microtinae).
Containing almost 400 different species, the subfamily of Old World mice includes mice and rats that are highly adaptable and tolerant of adverse natural environments. Oftentimes pests, these mice eat grains and crops, and can carry diseases. Three very interesting groups of Old World mice are the house mice, the wood mice, and spiny mice.
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Containing about 350 species, the subfamily of New World mice is the largest mammalian group. Members live in a wide range of habitats thriving in deserts, on mountains, in humid forests, and even on ice-bound plains. Geographically, they live as far north as the southern reaches of the North Pole and as far south as Patagonia, which is the southern tip of South America. Most New World mice live o…
The most common species of Old World mice is the house mouse (Mus). A genus originating in southern Asia, the house mouse includes about 44 separate species; only one species is found in the United States. The body of the house mouse measures about 2.5-3.75 in (6-10 cm) long and is covered by brownish gray fur. Its tail, naked and scaly, typically measures about the same length as its body. Its ea…
Unlike the house mouse, some species of Old World mice live in fields and woods and rarely bother humans. One such species is the wood mouse (Apodemus). Wood mice are found as far south as Morocco reaching as far north as Iceland and are common throughout Europe and Scandinavia as well as Asia. Of the eleven species that have been identified, five live in Europe. Wood mice are similar in appearanc…
Another interesting species of Old World mice in the spiny mouse (Acomys). As the name implies, their backs are covered with spiny, bristle-like hairs. These mice live throughout the dry environments of northern India and Africa; specifically, they live in deserts, prairies, and savannas. One species lives on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. They normally eat dried plants, small insec…
House mice, as well as other species, have been linked to man for thousands of years. Their destruction of human food supplies and crops has been recorded in very early records. Importantly, these mice are also responsible for spreading a number of diseases, such as typhus, spotted fever, Salmonella food poisoning, and bubonic plague. While many of their activities definitely have had a negative i…
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