Editing Mouse (section)

{{Short description|Small long-tailed rodent}}
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{{About|the animal|the computer input device|Computer mouse|other uses}}
{{Redirect|Mice}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
[[File:Мышь 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[House mouse]] (''Mus musculus'')]]
[[File:Phase-Specific-Vocalizations-of-Male-Mice-at-the-Initial-Encounter-during-the-Courtship-Sequence-pone.0147102.s003.ogv|thumb|Phase-specific vocalizations of male mice at the initial encounter during the courtship sequence]]

A '''mouse''' ({{plural form}}: '''mice''') is a small [[rodent]]. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common [[house mouse]] (''Mus musculus''). Mice are also popular as [[pets]]. In some places, certain kinds of [[Apodemus|field mice]] are locally common. They are known to invade homes for food and shelter.

Mice are typically distinguished from [[rat]]s by their size. Generally, when a [[muroid]] rodent is discovered, its [[common name]] includes the term ''mouse'' if it is smaller, or ''rat'' if it is larger. The common terms ''rat'' and ''mouse'' are not [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomically]] specific. Typical mice are classified in the genus ''[[Mus (genus)|Mus]]'', but the term ''mouse'' is not confined to members of ''Mus'' and can also apply to species from other genera such as the [[deer mouse|deer mouse (''Peromyscus'')]].

[[Fancy mouse|Domestic mice]] sold as pets often differ substantially in size from the common house mouse. This is attributable to breeding and different conditions in the wild. The best-known strain of mouse is the white [[Laboratory mouse|lab mouse]]. It has more uniform traits that are appropriate to its use in research.

[[Cat]]s, wild [[dog]]s, [[fox]]es, [[bird of prey|birds of prey]], [[snake]]s and certain kinds of [[arthropod]]s have been known to prey upon mice. Despite this, mice populations remain plentiful. Due to its remarkable adaptability to almost any [[ecological niche|environment]], the mouse is one of the most successful [[mammalian]] genera living on Earth today.

In certain contexts, mice can be considered [[vermin]]. Vermin are a major source of [[crops|crop]] damage,<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Meerburg BG, Singleton GR, Leirs H |title=The Year of the Rat ends: time to fight hunger!|journal=Pest Manag Sci |volume=65 |issue=4 |year=2009 |doi=10.1002/ps.1718 |pmid=19206089 |pages=351–2 | issn = 1526-498X}}</ref> as they are known to cause structural damage and spread [[disease]]. Mice spread disease through their [[feces]] and are often carriers of [[Parasitism|parasites]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Meerburg BG, Singleton GR, Kijlstra A |title=Rodent-borne diseases and their risks for public health|journal=Crit Rev Microbiol|volume=35 |issue=3|year=2009|doi=10.1080/10408410902989837|pmid=19548807 |pages=221–70|s2cid=205694138}}</ref> In North America, breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse excrement has been linked to [[hantavirus]], which may lead to [[hantavirus pulmonary syndrome]] (HPS).

Primarily [[Nocturnality|nocturnal]]<ref name="noc1">{{cite journal|jstor=1374418|title=Nocturnal Explorations of the Forest Deer-Mouse|first=W. H.|last=Behney|date=1 January 1936|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|volume=17|issue=3|pages=225–230|doi=10.2307/1374418}}</ref> animals, mice compensate for their poor eyesight with a keen sense of hearing. They depend on their sense of smell to locate food and avoid predators.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/species_used_in_research/mouse.html|title=Mice : The Humane Society of the United States|access-date=15 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122092346/http://www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/species_used_in_research/mouse.html|archive-date=22 January 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the wild, mice are known to build intricate burrows. These burrows have long entrances and are equipped with escape tunnels. In at least one species, the architectural design of a burrow is a genetic trait.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Discrete genetic modules are responsible for complex burrow evolution in Peromyscus mice|first1=Jesse N.|last1=Weber|first2=Brant K.|last2=Peterson|first3=Hopi E.|last3=Hoekstra|date=17 January 2013|journal=Nature|volume=493|issue=7432|pages=402–405|doi=10.1038/nature11816|pmid=23325221|bibcode=2013Natur.493..402W|s2cid=4361153}}</ref>