House Mouse (Mus muscu/us)

House mice usually are dusky gray to light brown. Their belly is light colored (gray or cream) but never whit e. Adult house mice have rather large ears when compared to the size of their bodies. An adult house mouse may have a combined head and body length of just over 3 inches. The tails is dark, scaly, and usually shorter than the length of the head and body combined. Adult droppings are 1/8 to¼ inch long. House mouse droppings are rod shaped and have pointed ends.

House mice eat many of the same food as humans, including cereal grains, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Cereals are the preferred food. Because they nibble, they may feed as often as 15 to 20 times each day. These mice consume a small amount of food each time at each feeding site. Mice can survive on very small amounts of water. They usually get all moisture they need from their food but will drink water if available.

House mice are inquisitive. They are not suspicious of new foods and sample them eagerly. They also investigate any new object in their territory.

Each male mouse stakes out a territory around his nest. He may not travel more than 10 feet from his nest if food is close by. The nest is made from almost any soft material, which is chewed into small bits to make a soft bed. Females are capable of breeding three to six weeks after giving birth. The produce an average of six litters each year. There usually are six to eight young in a litter. A house mouse reaches sexual maturity in 35 days.