Last Reviewed and Updated on June 26, 2022
Mice can be found almost everywhere so chances are you have already seen one sometime in your life, either in her natural environment or maybe even as a pet. There are many interesting things one can know about these small rodents and here we are sharing some of the facts about mice worth remembering.
1. They are omnivores with a wide food palate
Contrary to the popular depictions, mice aren’t really crazy about cheese, but they will eat it.
They eat a wide variety of foods, from grains, seeds, fruits, plants, mushrooms, insects, and even meat if an opportunity presents itself. They have a preference for seeds, grain, and fruit.
2. Mouse will sample the food when there is plenty to choose from
If you ever shared your home with a house mouse, you know they will go through your pantry and eat a variety of food. When food is in abundance mice can get picky and will eat what is best.
They certainly are gourmets when they have a chance to be.
3. Their incisor teeth are constantly growing
They have two incisors in their top yaw and two incisors on their bottom jaw. These teeth, unlike others, don’t have roots and they grow continuously.
They get worn down by everyday use, but that alone isn’t enough to keep their length in check. Mice grind their teeth against each other, sharpening and shortening them while doing so.
4. Mice poop a lot
A single house mouse can make more than 50 droppings per day. That’s a lot of stool! Thankfully, the poops are pretty small.
5. They are native to all continents, except Antarctica
They are native to nearly every country in the world and on all continents, except Antarctica. But even Antarctica isn’t spared as with human activity mice were introduced to some parts of it as well.
6. Their numbers are unknown
We don’t know how many mice there are in the world but the estimates are huge. They may even be the most numerous animals in the world.
7. They reproduce extremely fast
One of the most important facts about mice to remember, especially if you find a couple in your home. From one pair to thousands of mice in a year, if all were to survive and reproduce. A pair of mice can have anywhere from 3 to 14 young, and it takes about 20 days to give birth after copulation. On average a single pair of mice will have about 40 baby mice a year. And in 6 to 8 weeks those offspring will be mature and ready to mate.
A single female can get pregnant up to 10 times each year. They can multiply really fast.
8. You can detect their urine with a black light
The icky mouse fact is that they pee everywhere. If you use a black light their urine and hair will glow.
9. A group mouse is called a mischief
We do hope you don’t have a mischief of mice in your home. It only takes a male and a female to give you mischief of mice in no time.
10. A female mice is a doe, males are bucks and babies are pinkies
We love the name for baby mice! Little pinkies!
11. People once believed mice were created from husks of wheat and sweaty underpants
This is more of a people’s belief fact than one of the facts of mice, but it’s too fascinating not to share. The theory of spontaneous generation, once widespread, is a theory that some life forms are created spontaneously from nonliving matter. It was believed mice are generated from wheat husks and sweaty underpants placed in a jar, and after 21 days a mouse would come into existence. Can you believe this theory was still generally accepted until the late 19th century? Pretty fascinating.