Mouse

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Mouse
Temporal range: Late Miocene - Recent
House mouse, Mus musculus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Mus
Linnaeus, 1758

A mouse (plural mice) is a rodent, which is a kind of mammal. These small animals are often used in science experiments, or sometimes kept as pets. Some mice carry diseases. This causes some people to think of mice as disgusting pests. Many other people think mice are cute and fun animals. Mice are rodents, therefore they are related to squirrels, rats, and beavers. The words rat and mouse are sometimes used to mean the same animal, but that is not correct. Mice eat weeds, seeds, berries, and more. They are eaten by owls, foxes, and cats, amongst others.

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Types of mice[change]

House Mice[change]

The common "House Mouse," is thought of as a pest. They are found in the cars and houses of humans.

Vole[change]

These are short-tailed mice. Female (girl) voles may have 17 litters (groups of babies) a year, with 4-9 babies in each litter.

Deer Mice[change]

These mice live in forests (which is where they get their name, because they live around deer in the forest).

The aggressive grasshopper mouse sometimes eats other mice.

Mice in media[change]

Two mice found in popular culture are Disney characters: Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Though they are mice, they can walk, talk, and act like people.

Chuck E. Cheese is another famous mouse. He is the mascot of Chuck E. Cheese's pizza restaurants.