The tiny Perdido Key beach mouse is very rare — scientists estimate there are only about a few hundred left in the wild, making it one of the most endangered mice!
Mouse (Mice) - Facts for Kids
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Facts About Mouse (Mice) For Kids
Scientists use mice to study how animals adapt to climate change because they reproduce quickly!
Some island species of mice are threatened by invasive predators like cats and snakes!
The New Holland Mouse of Australia was thought to be extinct but was rediscovered in 1967!
Conservation efforts have helped save the Pacific Pocket Mouse from extinction!
One mother mouse can have lots of babies in just one year — usually around 30–80 little pups, with about 50–60 being a common number!
Some species of mice play important roles in spreading plant seeds and helping forests grow!
Special Abilities
Some mice can sense Earth’s magnetic field — like an internal compass — and use it to help them figure out directions as they get around!
Research & Science
Mice and humans share many of the same genes — about 85 % of the protein‑coding DNA is similar, which is why scientists study mice to learn about people!
The first genetically modified mouse was created in 1974!
Historical Significance
People in ancient China were writing about keeping mice as pets as far back as about 1100 BCE — that’s over 3,000 years ago!
The first computer mouse was invented in the 1960s and was named after its tail-like cord!
The word “mouse” goes way back in the English language — it comes from Old English mūs and was already in use before the year 900 in early English texts.
Mickey Mouse was created by Walt Disney in 1928 and was almost named Mortimer!
Scientists have found mouse‑like rodent fossils that go back about 14 million years, so these tiny relatives of today’s house mouse were scurrying around long ago!
In ancient times, people worshiped a special form of Apollo called “Apollo Smintheus” that was linked with mice — temples and statues even showed mice with the god!
Bonus Fun Facts
Mice were among the first animals to be sent into space for scientific research!
The fastest recorded mouse ran at a speed of 7.5 miles per hour!
Scientists have used mice in so much important research that many Nobel Prizes in medicine and physiology have come from discoveries made with the help of lab mice!
Mice prefer to run along walls, using their whiskers to guide them – scientists call this behavior "thigmotaxis"!
Mice are one of the few animals that can move their whiskers voluntarily to explore objects!
Some mice have developed resistance to common poisons through natural selection!
Grasshopper mice of North America have evolved to be carnivorous and hunt insects and other mice!
Some species of mice have evolved to be immune to scorpion venom!
