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In nature, mice are largely herbivores, consuming any kind of fruit or grain from plants. [9] However, mice adapt well to urban areas and are known for eating almost all types of food scraps. In captivity, mice are commonly fed commercial pelleted mouse diet. These diets are nutritionally complete, but they still need a large variety of vegetables.
A print showing cats and mice from a 1501 German edition of Aesop's fables Murids feature in literature, including folk tales and fairy stories. In the Pied Piper of Hamelin , retold in many versions since the 14th century, including one by the Brothers Grimm , a rat-catcher lures the town's rats into the river, but the mayor refuses to pay him.
Mice often chew wood and other hard substances, which keeps their teeth from growing too long. [25] As mice and rats have similar diets, some pet mouse owners choose to feed them rat food. Although it is common practice to feed premixed diets designed for other rodents, for the longevity and health of the animal it is best to feed mouse ...
Mice are good jumpers, climbers, and swimmers, and are generally considered to be thigmotactic, i.e. usually attempt to maintain contact with vertical surfaces. [citation needed] Mice are mostly crepuscular or nocturnal; they are averse to bright lights. The average sleep time of a captive house mouse is reported to be 12.5 hours per day.
The California deermouse has very large ears, and its tail is longer than the head and body combined. Including the tail, which is about 117 to 156 mm (4.6 to 6.1 in) long, the mouse ranges in length from 220 to 285 mm (8.7 to 11.2 in). [6]
Included are mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, lemmings, and voles. They are grouped according to the structure of their jaws and molar teeth . They are characterized by their myomorphous zygomasseteric system , which means that both their medial and lateral masseter muscles are displaced forward, making them adept at gnawing.
The genus Mus or typical mice refers to a specific genus of muroid rodents, all typically called mice (the adjective "muroid" comes from the word "Muroidea", which is a large superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, gerbils, and many other relatives), though the term can be used for other rodents.
These pocket mice live in soils that may be vegetated with creosote bush, palo verde, burroweed, mesquite, cholla and other cacti, and short, sparse grass, as well as in lower edges of alluvial fan with yucca, mesquite, grama, and prickly poppy. Six subspecies are currently recognised: [4] C. pencillatus pencillatus - south-central Arizona