10 Amazing Facts About Mus Musculus
Mus Musculus are rodents with pointed snouts and large, rounded ears. These house mice originated around 500,000 years ago and can be found worldwide. These little creatures can easily live in grassland, artificial structures, and forests. Besides this, they are social pets and need company to thrive, whether living in captivity or the wild. These nocturnal and omnivorous mice can feed both plants and animal matter. These furry pets have hundreds of species that are distributed into subfamilies. Among these species, the common one is the house mouse, which are terrestrial and social pets. Besides this general information, some people still need to discover various fun facts about Mus Musculus. Let’s uncover the interesting facts about these furry pets.
1. They Don't Love Cheese
It may seem not very certain, but it is a fact that these little pets don’t love cheese. It has been seen for ages that mice are attracted to cheese, but that is a misconception. These rodents can sense smells;
therefore, they don’t like eatables with strong smells, such as cheese. Research has proved that these little creatures aren’t fond of cheese. According to research, mice choose grapes and peanuts over cheese when placed in front of them.
2. A House Mouse Isn't So Quiet
If you have ever kept these little creatures as your pets, you must agree that they are not so quiet. They produce ultrasonic sounds that are not easy for humans to detect. If these mice pass from your attic or wall, you will experience sounds like gnawing, squeaking, scratching, and scurrying. They use their claws to find food, water, and nesting material, which makes them little louder creatures.
3.They're Good Jumpers, Climbers & Swimmers
These furry pets are considered little gymnasts. They are excellent climbers, jumpers, and swimmers. Compared to their little bodies, they can jump about inches, which is really impressive. They can even climb to your kitchen counters to access food. They are good swimmers, but generally, they avoid water contact because their fur takes time to dry up completely.
Do You Know: They’re notorious thieves, invading your space for food, water, and shelter.
4. They Can Produce Vitamin C
Interestingly, vitamin C is not included in these pets’ diets. Do you know why? L-gulonolactone oxidase is the enzymatic activity that helps them produce vitamin C from glucose and manage the level of various proteins in them. Like them, many other rodents have suitable genes that help make their own vitamin C.
Do You Know: They have relatively short lifespans. The lifespan of these pets depends upon their species and living conditions. In an ideal living environment, they can live for about two years.
5. They Sleep When They Can
It is known that these Mus Musculus have nocturnal behavior. They can sleep during the day and become active at night, and they can sleep whenever they want. Because of their nocturnal behavior, they find food sources as the sun goes down, with fewer chances of danger or predators.
Do You Know: Mice have poor eyesight. They can only see in dull light. They are colorblind, therefore, and can not see red light.
6. Mice Can Fit In Small Gaps/Cracks
Interestingly, these mice can fit in even small gaps about the size of a pencil. They are commonly found in buildings because of their smaller size and availability to find entryways easily. They can fit through sealing, holes, or cracks because their bones do not collapse. It depends upon their skull where to fit because it is the largest part of their body.
Do You Know: Wood mice can shed their tails. Whenever their tail grabs them, they will immediately shed it from its end.
7. Mice's teeth never stop growing.
The teeth of these rodents are the most distinguishing characteristic. These rodents have incisor teeth without roots, so their teeth grow continuously. The teeth of these rodents are not w, nor will they grow even into their brains. It is advised to provide them with chewy toys to prevent overgrown teeths. Those living in the wild grind their teeth against each other, which helps in wear down.
Did you know that: 98% of human genes have a comparable gene in mice? According to genome studies, only 2.5% of DNA can transform mice into humans.
8. Mice have very fast heartbeats.
Little animals like house mice have faster metabolisms, and their mitochondria work effectively to produce energy and heat. This promotes a more rapid breathing rate and heartbeat. The normal heart rate of these rodents is about 50-700 beats per minute. Besides this, mice are very acrobatic; they obtain balance from their tail, which helps them walk across ropes and wires.
9. Mice reproduce abundantly
It is true that they reproduce abundantly because their gestation period ranges from 19 to 21 days. They can produce 5 to 10 times a year, and there are about 3 to 14 babies in each litter. It is said that musculus can have 100 babies per year. In addition, they reach the age of reproduction at about 6 to 10 weeks.
Do You Know: Mice eat 15-20 times daily because of their faster metabolism.
10. Mice Have Ultrasonic Hearing
It is interesting to know that musculus have ultrasonic hearing, which is why it is difficult for humans to detect those sounds. These little creatures produce sounds to communicate that are not in the audible range of humans. These sounds are made to convey their communication with each other, to show happiness and aggression.
Do You Know: Mice can spread diseases because they carry various fatal diseases. Handling them without gloves or any other precautionary measure will also transform those diseases in humans.
Conclusion!
Mus Musculus are rodents that first appeared in Central Asia, and now they can be found across the globe. They can live in forests and grasslands and are even closely associated with humans. These rodents have various species and types, which make them a center of attraction. Besides their species, some interesting facts about these rodents are still unknown to most people, such as their ultrasonic hearing, reproduction ability, faster heartbeats, continuously growing teeth, and some others. These facts even increase the worth of these rodents.
Frequently Asked Questions?
They can survive in harsh climates, and their uniqueness is because of their ability to climb, swim, and jump.
It is trust that these pets show love and easily bond with their guardians. These pets are emotionally attached to their family members and owners.