The needle mouse belongs to the family of mouse rodents. This is a small animal with a length of 7 to 13 centimeters, which today is the pleasure of pet lovers.
Distinctive features
The needle mouse differs from its relatives in large eyes and round ears. Her back is covered with small needles, thanks to them she resembles a hedgehog in some way. The color of these animals is pale yellow or tan. A dark gray needle mouse is less common. Photos of this animal give pleasure to lovers of domestic animals.
Adult males are different from females. They have long fur, and even a lion's mane forms on the neck. A unique feature that a needle mouse possesses is regeneration. In case of danger, they lose skin. After there are no scars left, and the body is completely restored. This happens as follows: epithelial cells move to the surface of the wound, embryonic cells are concentrated under them, from which a new, full-fledged skin grows.
Where do the mice live?
The needle mouse considers its homeland Saudi Arabia, as well as the islands of Crete, Cyprus and northern Africa. It was in these territories that these animals were originally divorced. In nature, there are several types of such rodents, however, most often in captivity you can find a Cairo variety of a needle mouse. She lives in a hole, which she usually digs herself. Although it can take advantage of the housing abandoned by another rodent, if it comes across this.
The period of activity of these animals falls on the early morning and late evening. This is a sociable creature that necessarily lives in a group with relatives. Great as a pet.
How to keep a mouse at home?
The houses of these animals are kept in a small metal cage or in a terrarium behind glass. Necessarily such a dwelling should have a wide bottom and low sides. Above you can close the grid. When choosing a house for a mouse, be sure to remember that this is a rodent, so it is not difficult for him to cut through a wooden floor. Many other materials can also suffer, and the animal can crawl into a narrow gap, be in the wild and then cause damage to many things already in your apartment.
At the bottom of the cage, sprinkle a large amount of shavings or finely chopped paper. Install a small house in which the mouse can sleep, stable feeders and a drinking bowl that it can not turn over. Come up with her or buy in the pet shop various devices for games. This is a very mobile animal. A running wheel, various branches, ladders and shelters are suitable.
It is better to install the cage near the wall. Since the mouse may be subject to hypothermia, it must be protected from drafts. Many people wonder how long a needle mouse lives. You can provide yourself a funny pet for three years.
Mouse care
The mouse loves cleanliness and order. Therefore, every day it is necessary to clean the cage, sweep out the remaining food, thoroughly wash and clean the feeder and drinker. If you decide that a needle mouse will live in your home, maintenance, care for it play a huge role. Change the bedding for the animal several times a week.
These are very shy rodents, therefore it is undesirable for a cat or dog to live in a house with a mouse. In addition, the animal does not immediately get used to the person. Be prepared that it takes some time to make contact. Be sure to equip a shelter in the animal cage, in which he can easily hide at any time. At first it will be in great demand.
This is a herd animal. Therefore, either immediately buy a few needle relatives, or pay a lot of attention to the game and pet care. Mice like to play with small balls, nibble on wooden cubes and other toys. Make sure that wooden objects that the mouse can gnaw do not contain any residual paint or varnish. Otherwise, the pet may begin to have serious health problems.
When cleaning the cage and sprinkling food, especially the first time, avoid sudden movements that can scare the mouse. Try not to speak out loud, gradually accustoming the pet to your voice. The needle mice are smart enough and after a short period of time they can even respond to the nickname that you give, and meet the owner with a joyful squeak.
What do mice eat?
The diet in mice is very diverse. They can be fed with various grains, seeds, cottage cheese, boiled egg protein, and, of course, they love cheese. Do not forget to pamper your pet. The delicacies of needle mice include fruits, berries and bread. Make sure that all the necessary minerals and vitamins are regularly present in the pet's diet.
If desired, in pet stores you can purchase special food for rodents containing the necessary substances. It is very important that the needle mouse is healthy. Feeding should also include twigs of fruit trees. With their help, rodents sharpen their teeth. True, many plants for them can be poisonous. This hemlock, celandine, lilies of the valley, fern, ledum. Make sure that they do not enter the diet of your pet.
Breeding mice
Like all rodents, mice are very prolific. Therefore, do not be surprised if your pets begin to breed year round. Under favorable living conditions and stable nutrition, this is not surprising. They can reproduce offspring at the age of one month. In her house, the female builds a small nest, in which the babies are born. Hay, paper, twigs and various rags traditionally use a needle mouse as materials for this shelter. Reproduction is especially active in the first one and a half years of life of adults.
Mice are born at night, in one litter there can be from 5 to 10 cubs. They are born naked, weighing no more than two grams and a body length of a maximum of 3 centimeters. So immediately find out the gender of the newborn is almost impossible. Later males grow much larger.
During feeding, be sure to include milk in your pet’s diet. Cubs grow rapidly, after 5 days they weigh twice as much as at birth. After two weeks they begin to see, after three they are able to eat independently. The maternal instincts of needle mice manifest themselves very vividly, they cherish their cubs, they are carefully looked after. Remember, newborns cannot be picked up. A foreign smell can scare them away from their mother, and she will stop feeding them. In this case, the cubs will simply starve to death.
How to tame animals?
Needle mice make good contact with humans and are quickly tamed. If communication with a person is not enough, then they can quickly run wild. The animals are very shy and even able to die from fear, so they should be treated with care and with care.