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/*]]>*/</style><script async src=/cdn-cgi/bm/cv/669835187/api.js></script><body class="mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Mouse rootpage-Mouse layout-nwe skin-chameleon action-view"><nav class="p-navbar collapsible"id=mw-navigation role=navigation><div class="navbar-brand p-logo"id=p-logo role=banner><a title="Visit the main page"href=/entry/Info:Main_Page> <img alt="Research Begins Here"height=56px src=/images/nwe_header.jpg width=260px> </a></div><button aria-label="Open Menu"class=navbar-toggler data-target=#gvyotsnuiy data-toggle=collapse type=button></button><div class="collapse navbar-collapse gvyotsnuiy"id=gvyotsnuiy><div class=navbar-nav><div id=n-samplepage><a class="n-samplepage nav-link"href=/entry/Category:Copyedited> Articles </a></div><div id=n-about><a class="n-about nav-link"href=/entry/Info:Project_Vision> About </a></div><div id=n-citethis><a class="n-citethis nav-link"href=/p/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Mouse&id=681708> Cite this page </a></div><div><a class=nav-link href=/feedback/mouse> Feedback </a></div></div><div class="navbar-nav right"><div class="p-search order-first order-cmln-0 navbar-form"id=p-search role=search><form action=/p/index.php class=mw-search id=searchform><input value=" Special:Search"name=title type=hidden><div class=input-group><input placeholder="Search New World Encyclopedia"title="Search New World Encyclopedia [f]"accesskey=f class=form-control id=searchInput name=search><div class=input-group-append><button aria-label="Go to page"class="search-btn searchGoButton"title="Go to a page with this exact name if it exists"id=searchGoButton name=go value=Go></button></div></div></form></div></div></div></nav><div class=container><div class=row><div class=col><div class="mw-body content"id=content><a class=top id=top> </a><div class=mw-indicators id=mw-indicators></div><div class=contentHeader><div data-freestar-ad="__320x100 __970x90"align=center id=newworldencyclopedia_leaderboard_atf style=margin-top:1px;padding-top:10px><script data-cfasync=false>freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "newworldencyclopedia_leaderboard_atf", slotId: "newworldencyclopedia_leaderboard_atf" });</script></div><h1 class=firstHeading id=firstHeading>Mouse</h1><div class=siteSub id=siteSub>From New World Encyclopedia</div><div class="mw-jump jump-to-nav"id=jump-to-nav>Jump to: <a href=#mw-navigation> navigation </a> , <a href=#p-search> search </a></div></div><div class=bodyContent id=bodyContent><div class=mw-content-ltr dir=ltr id=mw-content-text lang=en><div class=mw-backforth-prev><a href=/entry/Mourning title=Mourning> Previous (Mourning) </a></div><div class=mw-backforth-next><a title="Moxa treatment"href=/entry/Moxa_treatment> Next (Moxa treatment) </a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class=mw-parser-output><table style="position:relative; margin: 0 0 0.5em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; float:right; clear:right; width:200px;"border=1 cellpadding=0><tbody><tr style=text-align:center;><th style="background: pink;"><div style="float:right; font-size:70%; padding:0 .5em 0 2em"><a title="Info:How to read a taxobox"href=/entry/Info:How_to_read_a_taxobox> ? </a></div> <b> Mouse </b> <br> <small> Fossil Range: Late <a href=/entry/Miocene title=Miocene> Miocene </a> - Recent </small><tr><td style=text-align:center;><a title="Mus musculus"class=image href=/entry/File:House_mouse.jpg> <img alt="Mus musculus"srcset="/d/images/a/ab/House_mouse.jpg 1.5x"decoding=async height=173 src=/d/images/thumb/a/ab/House_mouse.jpg/250px-House_mouse.jpg width=250> </a> <br> <small> House mouse, <i> Mus musculus </i> </small><tr style=text-align:center;><th style="background: pink;"><b> <a title="Scientific classification"class=mw-redirect href=/entry/Scientific_classification> Scientific classification </a> </b><tr style=text-align:center;><td><table style="margin:0 auto; text-align:left; background:none;"cellpadding=2><tbody><tr valign=top><td>Kingdom:<td>Animalia<tr valign=top><td>Phylum:<td>Chordata<tr valign=top><td>Class:<td><a href=/entry/Mammal title=Mammal> Mammalia </a><tr valign=top><td>Order:<td>Rodentia<tr valign=top><td>Superfamily:<td>Muroidea<tr valign=top><td>Family:<td>Muridae<tr valign=top><td>Subfamily::<td>Murinae<tr valign=top><td>Genus:<td><i> <b> Mus </b> </i> <br> <small> Linnaeus, 1758 </small></table></table><div class="thumb tright"><div class=thumbinner style=width:252px;><a class=image href=/entry/File:Mouse_vermin02.jpg> <img srcset="/d/images/thumb/5/5e/Mouse_vermin02.jpg/375px-Mouse_vermin02.jpg 1.5x, /d/images/thumb/5/5e/Mouse_vermin02.jpg/500px-Mouse_vermin02.jpg 2x"alt class=thumbimage decoding=async height=188 src=/d/images/thumb/5/5e/Mouse_vermin02.jpg/250px-Mouse_vermin02.jpg width=250> </a><div class=thumbcaption><div class=magnify><a class=internal href=/entry/File:Mouse_vermin02.jpg title=Enlarge> </a></div> Mouse</div></div></div><p>There is lack of consensus over what range of <a href=/entry/Animal title=Animal> animals </a> is encompassed by the term <b> mouse </b> (plural <b> mice </b> ). Mouse is variously defined as any animal belonging to the genus <i> Mus </i> of the family <i> Muridae </i> of the <a href=/entry/Mammal title=Mammal> mammal </a> order <i> <a class=mw-redirect href=/entry/Rodentia title=Rodentia> Rodentia </a> </i> ; or any small animal belonging to the family <i> Muridae </i> ; or any small, <a href=/entry/Rat title=Rat> rat </a> -like animal of diverse <a href=/entry/Rodent title=Rodent> rodent </a> <i> (Rodentia) </i> families (including <i> Muridae </i> , <i> Cricetidae </i> , and sometimes <i> Heteromyidae </i> and others). (See <a href=#Definition> definition </a> .)<p>Mice are characterized by pointed noses, small and rounded ears, and long and thin tails with no or little hair. In all but the most restrictive use of the term (genus <i> Mus </i> ), the main distinction between mice and rats is a matter of size, with relatively smaller animals, perhaps 12 centimeters (5 inches) or less, considered as mice and similarly looking animals that are larger designated as rats. As rodents, both mice and rats are characterized by dentition specialized for gnawing, including a single pair of upper incisors, a single pair of lower incisors, and a gap followed by one or more molars, as well as no canine teeth and not more than one incisor in each quadrant (Myers 2000).<p>The remainder of this article will assume the more narrow, scientifically restricted definition of a mouse as being any animal within the genus <i> Mus </i> , unless otherwise stated.<p>Although often regarded as pests, mice play important roles in laboratory research, ecological <a title="Food chain"href=/entry/Food_chain> food chains </a> , and as pets.<p>The best known mouse species is the common house mouse ( <i> Mus musculus </i> ). It is found in nearly all countries and, as the <a href=#laboratory_mice> laboratory mouse </a> , serves as an important model organism in <a href=/entry/Biology title=Biology> biology </a> and is also a popular pet. The American white-footed mouse ( <i> Peromyscus leucopus </i> ) and the deer mouse ( <i> Peromyscus maniculatus </i> ) also sometimes live in houses (though they are not included in the "house mouse" category, nor are they included in the genus <i> Mus </i> ). These species of mice generally live <a href=/entry/Symbiosis#Commensalism title=Symbiosis> commensally </a> with humans (that is, they benefit from humans without affecting humans either positively or negatively).<p>Although they may live up to two years in the lab, the average mouse in the wild lives only about three months, primarily due to heavy predation. <a href=/entry/Cat title=Cat> Cats </a> , wild <a href=/entry/Dog title=Dog> dogs </a> , <a href=/entry/Fox title=Fox> foxes </a> , <a href=/entry/Bird title=Bird> birds </a> of prey, <a href=/entry/Snake title=Snake> snakes </a> , and even certain kinds of <a href=/entry/Insect title=Insect> insects </a> have been known to prey heavily upon mice.<p>Nevertheless, due to its incredible adaptability to almost any environment and its general ability to live commensally with humans, it is regarded to be the second most successful mammalian species living on earth today (the first being the rat).<p>In some ways, mice can be harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading <a href=/entry/Disease title=Disease> diseases </a> through their <a href=/entry/Parasite title=Parasite> parasites </a> and feces. In the Western U.S., breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse feces has been linked to the deadly (though rare) Hantavirus. The original motivation for the domestication of <a href=/entry/Cat title=Cat> cats </a> is thought to have been for their predation of mice and their relatives, the <a href=/entry/Rat title=Rat> rats </a> .<div class=toc id=toc><input class=toctogglecheckbox id=toctogglecheckbox role=button style=display:none type=checkbox><div class=toctitle dir=ltr lang=en><h2>Contents</h2><span class=toctogglespan> <label class=toctogglelabel for=toctogglecheckbox></label> </span></div><ul><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href=#Definition> <span class=tocnumber> 1 </span> <span class=toctext> Definition </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href=#Body_and_behavior> <span class=tocnumber> 2 </span> <span class=toctext> Body and behavior </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href=#History> <span class=tocnumber> 3 </span> <span class=toctext> History </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href=#Taxonomy_of_the_genus_Mus> <span class=tocnumber> 4 </span> <span class=toctext> Taxonomy of the genus <i> Mus </i> </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href=#Laboratory_mice> <span class=tocnumber> 5 </span> <span class=toctext> Laboratory mice </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href=#Mice_as_feeder_animals> <span class=tocnumber> 6 </span> <span class=toctext> Mice as feeder animals </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href=#Mice_as_pets> <span class=tocnumber> 7 </span> <span class=toctext> Mice as pets </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href=#References> <span class=tocnumber> 8 </span> <span class=toctext> References </span> </a><li class=toclevel-1><a href=#Credits> <span class=tocnumber> 9 </span> <span class=toctext> Credits </span> </a></ul></div><h2><span class=mw-headline id=Definition> Definition </span></h2><p>There is a diversity of opinion regarding the definition of mouse.<p>In <i> Webster's Third New International Dictionary </i> , a mouse is <b> broadly defined </b> as "any of numerous small <a href=/entry/Rodent title=Rodent> rodents </a> typically resembling diminutive <a href=/entry/Rat title=Rat> rats </a> with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body and slender hairless or sparsely haired tail, including all the small members of the genus <i> Mus </i> and many members of other rodent genera and families having little more in common than their relatively small size" (Silver 1995).<p>However, the order <i> Rodentia </i> (phylum <i> Chordata </i> ) contains over 2,000 species and about 30 families (Myers 2000), many of which contain some animals that may be referred to as mice. The family <i> Muridae </i> itself contains over one thousand different species, including <a href=/entry/Vole title=Vole> voles </a> , <a href=/entry/Gerbil title=Gerbil> gerbils </a> , and rats (Silver 1995).<p><b> Narrower definitions </b> variously recognize mice as small, rat-like animals within the Muridae family, or within the Muridae and Cricetidae families, or within these two families and additional rodent families.<p>For example, the <i> Oxford English Dictionary </i> (Simpson and Weiner 1989) and the <i> Concise Encyclopedia Britannica Online </i> (2007) asserts that any small animal in the family <i> Muridae </i> is a mouse. The latter text further specifies that "Species in other rodent families (e.g. deer mouse, pocket mouse) are called mice <i> without scientific basis </i> " (italics added). The deer mouse is a member of the family Cricetidae and the pocket mouse is a member of the family <i> Heteromyidae </i> .<p>The <i> American Heritage Dictionary </i> (2000) restricts the term mouse to small, rat-like rodents of the families <i> Muridae </i> and <i> Cricetidae </i> . Myers et al. (2006) designate <i> Muridae </i> as including Old World mice and rats (as well as gerbils, whistling rats, and others), <i> Cricetidae </i> as including New World mice and rats (as well as voles, hamsters, and relatives), and Nesomyidae as including African and Malagasy endemic mice and rats. The <i> Science and Technology Encyclopedia </i> (Parker 1982) broadens the term to include small rodents of four families ( <i> Muridae </i> , <i> Cricetidae </i> , <i> Heteromyidae </i> , and <i> Zapodidae </i> ), and <i> The Oxford American College Dictionary </i> (2002) includes species in the families, <i> Muridae </i> , <i> Heteromyidae </i> , <i> Zapodidae </i> , and <i> Muscardinidae </i> .<p>Within the <i> Muridae </i> family is the subfamily <i> Murinae </i> , and within this subfamily is the genus <i> Mus </i> .<p>The <b> most restrictive definition </b> defines a "mouse" as a member of the genus <i> Mus </i> . (These are all small.) For example, <i> Encyclopaedia Britannica </i> (2007) (in contrast to the definition in the concise version) states that "in a scientific context, <b> mouse </b> refers to any of the 38 species in the genus <i> Mus </i> , which is the Latin word for <b> mouse </b> ." It further notes that the common name is broadly, but "imprecisely" applied to rodents with bodies less than about 12 cm (five inches) long.<h2><span class=mw-headline id=Body_and_behavior> Body and behavior </span></h2><p>Mice are small <a href=/entry/Rodent title=Rodent> rodents </a> , resembling diminutive <a href=/entry/Rat title=Rat> rats </a> . While they are typified by having pointed snouts, small ears, elongated bodies, and slender, hairless tails, different types of mice show large variations in physical features, and body dimensions especially vary considerably by species. The following are approximate values of physical features of an average mouse: a total body length of 28-130 mm and body mass of 2.5 to more than 34 grams (Nowak 1999).<p>Mice generally live on a <a class=mw-redirect href=/entry/Herbivore title=Herbivore> herbivorous </a> diet, but are actually omnivores, as they will at times eat meat, such as the dead bodies of other mice. They have also been observed to self-cannibalize their tails during starvation. Grasshopper mice are an exception to the rule, being the only fully <a href=/entry/Carnivore title=Carnivore> carnivorous </a> mice. On average, mice eat <a class=mw-redirect href=/entry/Grain title=Grain> grains </a> , <a href=/entry/Fruit title=Fruit> fruits </a> , and <a href=/entry/Seed title=Seed> seeds </a> for a regular diet, hence their reputation for damaging crops. They are also known to eat their own droppings on rare occasions.<p>Mice are social animals, preferring to live in groups. Male rivalry can become harmful for the animal, especially when confined to a small space.<p>The natural habitats of the mouse are very diverse. Mice can be found in forests, savannahs, grasslands, and rocky habitats (Nowak 1999). In Africa, they tend to particularly like <a href=/entry/Forest title=Forest> forest </a> edges, derived savannah, and agricultural areas. Mice build nests for protection and warmth, though different species have varying preferences: <i> M. minutoides </i> nest in shallow burrows, <i> M. caroli </i> and <i> M. cervicolor </i> burrow, while <i> M. shortridgei </i> and <i> M. pahari </i> nest above ground. Most species will construct nests of grass, fibers, and shredded material (Nowak 1999). Mice do not hibernate.<p>The mouse has bichromatic vision, meaning it has two instead of three retinal photopigments tuned to peak wavelengths, or colors. It lacks a photopigment for the detection of red light (Jacobs et al. 2004).<h2><span class=mw-headline id=History> History </span></h2><p>Mouse-like species are among the earliest <a href=/entry/Mammal title=Mammal> mammals </a> . It has been proposed that higher mammals evolved from <a href=/entry/Rodent title=Rodent> rodent </a> -like species many millions of years ago.<p>Mice have been known to humans since antiquity. The Romans differentiated broadly between mice and rats, calling rats <i> Mus Maximus </i> (big mouse) and referring to mice as <i> Mus Minimus </i> (little mouse). In Spanish, similar terms are in use: <i> ratón </i> for mouse and <i> rata </i> for rat <sup class=reference id=cite_ref-1> <a href=#cite_note-1> [1] </a> </sup><p>Discoloration in mice was supposedly first noticed in <a href=/entry/China title=China> China </a> by 1100 <small> B.C.E. </small> , where a white mouse was discovered. There is sufficient evidence that indicates that white mice were noticed in the times of the Greeks and Ancient <a href=/entry/Rome title=Rome> Rome </a> .<p>The word "mouse" and the word <a href=/entry/Muscle title=Muscle> muscle </a> are related. Muscle stems from <i> musculus </i> meaning small mouse—possibly because of a similarity in shape <sup class=reference id=cite_ref-2> <a href=#cite_note-2> [2] </a> </sup> <sup class=reference id=cite_ref-3> <a href=#cite_note-3> [3] </a> </sup><h2><span class=mw-headline id=Taxonomy_of_the_genus_Mus> Taxonomy of the genus <i> Mus </i> </span></h2><p>The term "mouse" is often considered to be equivalent to the taxonomic term <i> Mus </i> , while house mouse is equivalent to <i> Mus musculus </i> . In common language, the term "mouse" often refers incorrectly to <i> Mus musculus </i> . There are 38 <a href=/entry/Species title=Species> species </a> of mice in the genus <i> Mus </i> , as shown in the following table.<table border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0><tbody><tr><th colspan=8>Genus <i> Mus </i><tr><th>Subgenus <i> Pyromys </i><th>Subgenus <i> Coelomys </i><th colspan=2>Subgenus <i> Mus </i><th colspan=4>Subgenus <i> Nannomys </i><tr><td><ul><li><i> Mus platythrix </i><li><i> Mus saxicola </i><li><i> Mus philipsi </i><li><i> Mus shortridgei </i><li><i> Mus fernandoni </i></ul><td><ul><li><i> Mus mayori </i><li><i> Mus pahari </i><li><i> Mus crociduroides </i><li><i> Mus vulcani </i><li><i> Mus famulus </i></ul><td><ul><li><i> Mus caroli </i><li><i> Mus cervicolor </i><li><i> Mus cookii </i><li><i> Mus cypriacus </i><li><i> Mus booduga </i><li><i> Mus terricolor </i></ul><td><ul><li><i> Mus musculus </i><li><i> Mus spretus </i><li><i> Mus macedonicus </i><li><i> Mus spicelegus </i><li><i> Mus fragilicauda </i></ul><td><ul><li><i> Mus callewaerti </i><li><i> Mus setulosus </i><li><i> Mus triton </i><li><i> Mus bufo </i><li><i> Mus tenellus </i></ul><td><ul><li><i> Mus haussa </i><li><i> Mus mattheyi </i><li><i> Mus indutus </i><li><i> Mus setzeri </i><li><i> Mus musculoides </i></ul><td><ul><li><i> Mus minutoides </i><li><i> Mus orangiae </i><li><i> Mus mahomet </i><li><i> Mus sorella </i><li><i> Mus kasaicus </i></ul><td><ul><li><i> Mus neavei </i><li><i> Mus oubanguii </i><li><i> Mus goundae </i><li><i> Mus baoulei </i></ul></table><h2><span class=mw-headline id=Laboratory_mice> Laboratory mice </span></h2><p>Mice are the most commonly utilized <a href=/entry/Animal title=Animal> animal </a> research model with hundreds of established inbred, outbred, and transgenic strains. In the <a title="United States"href=/entry/United_States> United States </a> , they are not covered under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as an animal. However, the Public Health Service Act (PHS) <sup class=reference id=cite_ref-Public_Health_Service_Act_4-0> <a href=#cite_note-Public_Health_Service_Act-4> [4] </a> </sup> as administered by the National Institute of Health (NIH) does cover their humane treatment.<p>Mice are common experimental animals in <a href=/entry/Biology title=Biology> biology </a> and <a href=/entry/Psychology title=Psychology> psychology </a> , primarily because they are <a href=/entry/Mammal title=Mammal> mammals </a> and thus are biologically similar to <a class=mw-redirect href=/entry/Human title=Human> humans </a> , but can be manipulated in ways that would be considered unethical with humans and larger mammals.<p>Additional benefits of mice in laboratory research include the fact that mice are small, inexpensive, and several generations can be observed in a relatively short period of time. The mouse genome has been sequenced, and virtually all mouse <a href=/entry/Gene title=Gene> genes </a> have human homologs. (A homolog is a gene that is related to a second gene by common evolutionary ancestry.)<h2><span class=mw-headline id=Mice_as_feeder_animals> Mice as feeder animals </span></h2><div class="thumb tright"><div class=thumbinner style=width:152px;><a class=image href=/entry/File:Feeder_mice.jpg> <img srcset="/d/images/thumb/6/65/Feeder_mice.jpg/225px-Feeder_mice.jpg 1.5x, /d/images/thumb/6/65/Feeder_mice.jpg/300px-Feeder_mice.jpg 2x"alt class=thumbimage decoding=async height=113 src=/d/images/thumb/6/65/Feeder_mice.jpg/150px-Feeder_mice.jpg width=150> </a><div class=thumbcaption><div class=magnify><a class=internal href=/entry/File:Feeder_mice.jpg title=Enlarge> </a></div> "Pinkie" mice for sale as reptile food.</div></div></div><p>A very common use of mice is to feed many species of <a class=mw-redirect href=/entry/Snakes title=Snakes> snakes </a> , <a class=mw-redirect href=/entry/Lizards title=Lizards> lizards </a> , and even tarantulas. Most <a title="United States"href=/entry/United_States> U.S. </a> pet stores now carry mice for this purpose. Mice are ideal to sell for consumption by animals of many different sizes, as they breed quickly, grow quickly, are easy to care for, and can be sold in a wide variety of sizes.<p>Common terms used to refer to different ages and sizes of mice are pinkies, fuzzies, hoppers, and adults. Pinkies are newborn mice that have not yet grown fur. Fuzzies have some fur, but are generally not very mobile. Hoppers have a full coat of hair and are fully mobile, but are smaller than adult mice. These terms also refer to the various growth stages of <a href=/entry/Rat title=Rat> rats </a> .<p>Mice specifically bred for pets and feeders are sometimes called fancy mice.<h2><span class=mw-headline id=Mice_as_pets> Mice as pets </span></h2><div class="thumb tright"><div class=thumbinner style=width:252px;><a class=image href=/entry/File:100_0726.JPG> <img srcset="/d/images/thumb/b/be/100_0726.JPG/375px-100_0726.JPG 1.5x, /d/images/thumb/b/be/100_0726.JPG/500px-100_0726.JPG 2x"alt class=thumbimage decoding=async height=139 src=/d/images/thumb/b/be/100_0726.JPG/250px-100_0726.JPG width=250> </a><div class=thumbcaption><div class=magnify><a class=internal href=/entry/File:100_0726.JPG title=Enlarge> </a></div> Pet Mice</div></div></div><p>Mice are now one of the leading <a href=/entry/Rodent title=Rodent> rodent </a> pets. Although their main purpose in pet stores is to be sold as <a href=/entry/Snake title=Snake> snake </a> food, many people buy mice as companion pets. Some common pet-mouse products used are:<ul><li>Cage- Usually a hamster or gerbil cage, but specific mouse cages are also now available.<li>Food- Special pelleted and seed-based food is available.<li>Bedding- Usually hardwoods, such as aspen. Cedar or <a href=/entry/Pine title=Pine> pine </a> should not be used because they contain harmful liquids that can damage any rodent's respiratory system. <a class=mw-redirect href=/entry/Corn title=Corn> Corn </a> -cob bedding should also not be used because it promotes <i> Aspergillis Fungus </i> growth and allows <a href=/entry/Mold title=Mold> mold </a> growth once it gets wet. It also is quite rough on mouse feet. Recycled virgin wood pulp is also used.</ul><p>Some benefits of having mice as pets include the following:<ul><li>Mice give minimal shedding and <a href=/entry/Allergy title=Allergy> allergens </a><li>Mice are entertaining and affectionate<li>Mice are inexpensive<li>Mice are clean (contrary to popular belief)<li>Mice are socially self-sufficient (when in a group of other mice)<li>Mice are significantly less likely to bite than other rodent pets<li>Mice are quite intelligent given their size.</ul><p>There are, however, some disadvantages to having pet mice:<ul><li>Mice are small and quite fragile (not as easy to handle as a dog or a cat)<li>Mice are nocturnal (active at night)<li>Mice have frequent <a href=/entry/Eye title=Eye> eye </a> infections<li>Mice are easily subject to <a href=/entry/Disease title=Disease> disease </a> when without optimal care<li>Mice reproduce frequently<li>Mice have a short lifespan.</ul><p><br><h2><span class=mw-headline id=References> References </span></h2><div class=mw-references-wrap><ol class=references><li id=cite_note-1><span class=mw-cite-backlink> <a href=#cite_ref-1> ↑ </a> </span> <span class=reference-text> <a class="external autonumber"href=http://www.iberianature.com/trivia/etymology_mammals.htm> [1] </a> . Retrieved August 22, 2007. </span><li id=cite_note-2><span class=mw-cite-backlink> <a href=#cite_ref-2> ↑ </a> </span> <span class=reference-text> <a class="external autonumber"href=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=mouse> [2] </a> <a class="external autonumber"href=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=muscle> [3] </a> . The word "mouse" is cognate with Sanskrit <i> mush </i> meaning 'to steal' which is also cognate with <i> mys </i> in Old Greek and <i> mus </i> in Latin Retrieved August 22, 2007. </span><li id=cite_note-3><span class=mw-cite-backlink> <a href=#cite_ref-3> ↑ </a> </span> <span class=reference-text> <a class="external autonumber"href=http://www.worldscibooks.com/lifesci/etextbook/p393/p393_chap1.pdf> [4] </a> . Retrieved August 22, 2007. </span><li id=cite_note-Public_Health_Service_Act-4><span class=mw-cite-backlink> <a href=#cite_ref-Public_Health_Service_Act_4-0> ↑ </a> </span> <span class=reference-text> <a class="external text"href=https://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm> Public Health Service Act </a> . </span></ol></div><ul><li>American Heritage Dictionary of the American Language. 2000. <a class="external text"href=http://www.bartleby.com/61/> <i> The American Heritage Dictionary of the American Language </i> , 4th Edition </a> . Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Retrieved August 6, 2007.<li>Concise Encyclopedia (Britannica). 2007. <a class="external text"href=https://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9372730> Mouse </a> . <i> Encyclopedia Britannica </i> (online). Retrieved January 30, 2007.<li>Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2007. <a class="external text"href=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9054056/mouse> Mouse </a> . <i> Encyclopedia Britannica </i> (online). Retrieved January 30, 2007.<li>Jacobs, G. H., G. A. Williams, and J. A. Fenwick. 2004. Influence of cone pigment co-expression on spectral sensitivity and color vision in the mouse. <i> Vision Res. </i> 44/14 :1615-22.<li>Merriam-Webster. 2007. <a class="external text"href=http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/mouse> Mouse </a> . <i> Merriam-Webster Online </i> . Retrieved January 29, 2007.<li>Myers, P. 2000. <a class="external text"href=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rodentia.html> Order Rodentia (rodents) </a> . <i> Animal Diversity Web </i> . Retrieved January 30, 2007.<li>Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. <a class="external text"href=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Muroidea.html> Superfamily Muroidea (mice, rats, gerbils, and relatives </a> . <i> The Animal Diversity Web </i> (online). Retrieved January 30, 2007 at <a class="external free"href=http://animaldiversity.org.Retrieved> http://animaldiversity.org.Retrieved </a> August 6, 2007.<li>Nowak, R. M. 1999. <i> Walker's Mammals of the World </i> , 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press. <a class=external href=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801857899/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0801857899&linkCode=as2&tag=newworldencyc-20&linkId=83df4bed72539f2a52beb06a1d71be79> ISBN 0801857899 </a><li>Oxford University Press. 2002. <i> Oxford American College Dictionary </i> . New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. <a class=external href=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399144153/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399144153&linkCode=as2&tag=newworldencyc-20&linkId=83df4bed72539f2a52beb06a1d71be79> ISBN 0399144153 </a><li>Parker, S. P. 1982. <i> McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology </i> , 5th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill. <a class=external href=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0070792801/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0070792801&linkCode=as2&tag=newworldencyc-20&linkId=83df4bed72539f2a52beb06a1d71be79> ISBN 0070792801 </a><li>Silver, L. M. 1995. <i> Mouse Genetics: Concepts and Applications </i> . Oxford University Press.<li>Simpson, J., and E. Weiner. (Eds.) 1989. <i> Oxford English Dictionary </i> , second edition. Clarendon Press. <a class=external href=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0198611862/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0198611862&linkCode=as2&tag=newworldencyc-20&linkId=83df4bed72539f2a52beb06a1d71be79> ISBN 0198611862 </a></ul><div class=epcredits><h2><span class=mw-headline id=Credits> Credits </span></h2><p><i> New World Encyclopedia </i> writers and editors rewrote and completed the <i> Wikipedia </i> article in accordance with <i> New World Encyclopedia </i> <a title="Help:Writers Manual"href=/entry/Help:Writers_Manual> standards </a> . This article abides by terms of the <a title="New World Encyclopedia:Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0"href=/entry/New_World_Encyclopedia:Creative_Commons_CC-by-sa_3.0> Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License </a> (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. 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