Where does the house mouse live?
The house mouse lives near or inside human habitations. Although a wild animal, it has benefited so significantly from associating with human habitation that truly wild populations are significantly less common than those living near human activity. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus Mus. It has a pointed snout, large rounded ears and a long, almost hairless tail.
What does the house mouse eat?
House mice primarily feed on plant matter, but are omnivorous. They eat their own faeces to acquire nutrients produced by bacteria in their intestines. Mice are mostly crepuscular or nocturnal and are averse to bright lights. They are generally afraid of rats, which often kill and eat them. House mice usually run, walk or stand on all fours, but when eating, fighting or orienting themselves, they rear up on their hind legs with additional support from the tail.
Is the house mouse endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. The house mouse has been domesticated as the pet or fancy mouse, and as the laboratory mouse, one of the most important model organisms in biology and medicine. The complete mouse reference genome was sequenced in 2002.
