A mouse, plural 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. Mice are also popular as pets. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are locally common. They are known to invade homes for food and shelter.
The Nesomyidae are a family of African rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which are native to either continental Africa or to Madagascar. Included in this family are Malagasy rats and mice, climbing mice, African rock mice, swamp mice, pouched rats, and the white-tailed rat.
Dendromurinae is a subfamily of rodents in the family Nesomyidae and superfamily Muroidea. The dendromurines are currently restricted to Africa, as is the case for all extant members of the family Nesomyidae. The authorship of the subfamily has been attributed to both Alston, 1876, and (incorrectly) to G. M. Allen, 1939.
The Malagasy rats and mice are the sole members of the subfamily Nesomyinae. These animals are the only native rodents of Madagascar, come in many shapes and sizes, and occupy a wide variety of ecological niches. There are nesomyines that resemble gerbils, rats, mice, voles, and even rabbits. There are arboreal, terrestrial, and semi-fossorial varieties.
Micromys is a genus of small rodents in the subfamily Murinae. The genus, which is not closely related to any other murine genus, contains two living species: the widespread Eurasian harvest mouse of much of Europe and Asia; and the more restricted Micromys erythrotis of Vietnam, southern China, and perhaps nearby regions. Fossils of Micromys date back to the Late Miocene and include at least 10 extinct species, which form several lineages.
Zapodinae, the jumping mice, are a subfamily of mouse-like rodents in North America and China.
The term spiny mouse refers to any species of rodent within the genus Acomys. Similar in appearance to mice of the genus Mus, spiny mice are small mammals with bare, scaled tails. However, their coats are endowed with unusually stiff guard hairs similar to the spines of a hedgehog; this trait is the source of the common name, spiny mouse.
Apodemus is a genus of Muridae. The name is unrelated to that of the Mus genus, instead being derived from the Greek ἀπό-δημος.
The greater big-footed mouse or long-tailed big-footed mouse is a nocturnal rodent found only in north west Madagascar. It was first described by F. Petter in 1959. It is listed as an endangered species as a result of habitat loss.
Mice in the genus Dendromus are commonly referred to as African climbing mice or tree mice, although these terms are often used to describe all members of the subfamily Dendromurinae. The genus is currently restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, but fossils classified in the genus have been found from Late Miocene deposits in Arabia and Europe.
Apomys, commonly known as earthworm mice, is a genus of rodent endemic to the Philippines. Mice belonging to this genus are generally called Philippine forest mice and can be found on most islands of the Philippines except in Palawan, the Sulu Archipelago, and the Batanes and Babuyan group of islands.
The genus Neacomys, also known as bristly mice because of their spiny fur, includes several species of rodents in the tribe Oryzomyini of family Cricetidae. It is most closely related to Oligoryzomys, Oreoryzomys, and Microryzomys. Neacomys species are mainly found in the Amazon basin, but N. pictus occurs in Panama and N. tenuipes in montane Colombia.
Birch mice are small jumping rodents that resemble mice with a long tufted tail and very long hind legs, allowing for remarkable leaps. They are native to Eurasian forests and steppes. All variants possess a long tail of 65 to 110 mm of length and weigh about 6 to 14 g. Head and body length of 50 to 90 mm and hind foot length of 14 to 18 mm. The skin color is light brown or dark-brown to brownish yellow on the upper side and paler on the underside, but generally brownish. Birch mice have a vast geographic distribution in that they inhabit a wide variety of habitats, from semiarid areas to subalpine meadows.
Ankarafantsika National Park is a national park in the Boeny Region of Madagascar. The closest city is Majunga 115 kilometres (71 mi) north of the park. Ankarafantsika is mostly tropical in climate type. The Sakalava people are the predominant ethnic group living and farming here. The greater big-footed mouse lives in the park and is not known anywhere else.
The bastard big-footed mouse is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found only in Madagascar. Macrotarsomys bastardi is the smallest-bodied of the three species recognized within the genus Macrotarsomys. Two subspecies have been recognized however 2004 studies did not find consistent differences between the subspecies and recommended "subspecific epithets be abandoned for this species".
The Macedonian mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae and order Rodentia. This rodent lives in the area from eastern Georgia and western Bulgaria to Israel. It is considered part of a Paleoarctic group along with three other species: the house mouse, steppe mouse, and Algerian mouse.
Scotinomys is a genus of rodent, the singing mice, in the family Cricetidae. Together with Baiomys, it forms the tribe Baiomyini. It contains the following species:
The Malagasy mountain mouse or Koopman's montane voalavo(Monticolomys koopmani) is a rodent within the subfamily Nesomyinae of the family Nesomyidae. It is monotypic within the genus Monticolomys, and is closely related to the big-footed mouse (Macrotarsomys). It is found in the highlands of eastern Madagascar. A small mouse-like rodent, it is dark brown on the upperparts and dark gray below. It has small, rounded, densely haired ears and broad feet with well-developed pads. The long tail lacks a tuft at the tip. The skull is delicate and lacks crests and ridges on its roof.
Petter's big-footed mouse, is a Madagascan rodent in the genus Macrotarsomys. With a head and body length of 150 mm (5.9 in) and body mass of 105 g (3.7 oz), It is the largest species of its genus. The upperparts are brown, darkest in the middle of the back, and the underparts are white to yellowish. The animal has long whiskers, short forelimbs, and long hindfeet. The tail ends in a prominent tuft of long, light hairs. The skull is robust and the molars are low-crowned and cuspidate.
