Than the mouse eats? What do mice eat in nature?

Why are women so afraid of mice? Seeing this little brisk rodent, they jump in a panic to a chair and squeak to the whole district so that the small tailed animals themselves run away in fright. In fact, these creatures are absolutely innocuous, except for a ripped bag of croup or stolen cheese. This is what the mouse eats and what is for her a favorite treat. Therefore, hunting for food is its main driving force and the goal of a short life.

general characteristics

Mice belong to the detachment of rodents. In it they form a separate family, in which there are 400 different species. Depending on the locality, they are called the Asia Minor, Sichuan, Caucasian, and so on. In Russia, the most common types of mice, such as house and forest. Their closest relatives are hamsters, voles and rats.

Usually the entire length of the mice does not exceed 10 centimeters, half of which falls on the tail. The smallest kind is a mouse-baby, whose length is only 5 centimeters. These rodents have short, tenacious paws, a small neck and a long tail. The presence of a mustache near the nose allows the animals to orientate well on the terrain, in space, despite the time of day. Their ears are small, but they have an excellent hearing, which often warns them of danger. The body is covered with short wool of different colors: black, brown, gray or white. Color may also be unusual: striped or mottled.

Habitat

Mice live on all continents. Together with man they settled around the world and adapted to different climatic zones. Rodents feel great in the tropics, in the mountains, and in the swamps. They are able to survive at a staggering height: 4,000 meters - not a limit for these small creatures.

Usually mice settle near human settlements. This applies primarily to the house and Cairo varieties. After all, in cities and villages at every step you can find what the mouse eats. Therefore here it is as comfortable as possible. But if natural cataclysms - fires, floods or earthquakes occur, rodents are able to leave habitual habitat and migrate.

Those species that live in steppes or forests do not swim well. But the marsh mice feel themselves on the water freely. Houses in rodents are of three types:

• Simple mink;
• Complex holes in the form of labyrinths;
• Nests of grass stems.

Mice lead a terrestrial way of life. They rarely climb trees, but they easily climb on small bushes.

Habits and behaviors

Wherever mice live, there are usually many goodies to which they can pozaritsya. Choosing a night from their home, they steal everything that badly lies: seeds, berries and other food. But even in the daytime they can often be seen on the surface, especially in late August - early September, when the harvest ripens and you need to stock up on food for the winter. This does not mean that mice are hibernating, they are active in the cold season. Just moving under the snow, they are inaccessible to human eyes. The construction of the dwelling and replenishment of stocks continue throughout the autumn, up to the first frosts.

These animals are very careful. They are quite shy, they always listen to all sorts of sounds. If you feel threatened, hiding or starting to run away. They run very fast. Mouse usual, as well as representatives of other species, communicate with each other through piska. They can live alone or in small groups. In families, they combine in the fall, in order to store food for the winter together.

What do mice eat in the wild?

Usually they like vegetable food. It can be fruits of trees, bushes, seeds of grasses. Sometimes mice are eaten by insects. Those species that inhabit the meadows and fields, feed on cereals, stems of cereals and seeds. Residents of swamps and river banks eagerly eat plants, especially their green part. Different buds, root crops, shoots and leaves make up their everyday menu.

Than the mouse eats, if she is a forest dweller? The answer is simple - everything that can give her trees. These can be fruits of cedar and beech, as well as hazel, nuts and acorns. The biggest gluttons, of course, are home mice. In the apartments of people for them there is all the most delicious: cheese, sausage, cereals, eggs. Some rodents eat their own kind. Thus, large yellow-throated mice eat smaller specimens: forest or field. But this is if they are closed in a cage or in one room. In the wild environment, these species coexist peacefully, and there are no cases of cannibalism between them. This is due to the fact that small mice are more mobile. To call them in the open space is not always possible.

What do mice eat in captivity?

Some people are crazy about domestic, tamed rodents. Usually it is a small, white-colored specimen. They are easy to train, get used to a person and easily cohabit with him. What does the white mouse eat? Yes, anything, anything. It can be a variety of feeds that industry produces. They are balanced with mineral supplements and grains, so that your pet is properly developed and always stayed healthy. If you want to feed the animal with real food, then you can give him different cereals and cereals. Fat and sharp foods should be excluded. Once a week, feed the baby raw meat of flour worms.

Feed the mice once a day. Do not exceed the dosage of food, otherwise the rodent can get sick. Features of each species are described in the encyclopedia. After reading it, you will learn in detail what the white mouse eats. Based on the information received, you can correctly form the diet of the pet, so that he is always healthy, active and lived with you for many years.

Winter diet of rodents

Having looked at the photo of a field mouse or a domestic mouse , you can see that these animals are small. And like all small animals, they have an increased metabolism, so they eat often and a lot. During the ripening of the harvest, animals can cause huge damage to agriculture, as they are compelled not only to satisfy their daily insatiability, but also to prepare winter supplies. At this time, rodents actively collect all kinds of nuts, seeds, seeds and hide them in secret places, but they never store food in their burrows.

Very interesting in this regard is the mound house mouse. She lives in the fields of Ukraine, Moldova and Hungary. When the harvest goes, she selects the fallen spikelets and grains of cereals and carries them to the hole. Here the products are stacked in the form of a slide. Every day this hill grows, changing over time into a pile that reaches 80-100 centimeters in height and two meters in length. Then they masquerade this hill with the ground. Because of this feature, they were nicknamed kurgan.

Reproduction

Mice are very prolific. They have no special marriage rituals. The male simply smells the female by the smell, finds it and mates. Sometimes between males there is a rivalry and a fierce fight for the right of fertilization.

After a short pregnancy, the mouse gives birth to three to ten mice. They develop very quickly, and after three months they can bring offspring. In a year, each female can give birth 3-4 times, so that the rodents very rapidly multiply. The most interesting thing is that some species live together with whole family clans, like people. In one mink, young mice, forming pairs, successfully coexist, together with their parents.

In nature, predators regulate the rodent population. The wide distribution of animals throughout the territory of a certain locality makes them an easy prey for foxes, forest cats, birds of prey and snakes. If there is a famine in the forest, then even wolves and coyotes do not disdain mice. In the natural habitat of animals usually live 7-9 months. At the same time in captivity, mice are able to stretch as long as 5 years. Therefore they can become your companions of life for years. If you are still in doubt, buy your rodents home or not, then look at the photo of the field mouse. These cute animals will charm you with their innocence and sweet appearance, and their rapid multiplication can even become your business and bring in income.

The harm that rodents bring

Knowing how the mouse feeds, we can easily conclude why her dwelling in the house or on the field is unprofitable for a person. It is clear that people do not want to share their food reserves with rodents. Therefore, in every possible way they try to get rid of unwanted neighborhood when they find out their traces in the storerooms and barns.

In addition to stealing food, animals also leave their litter everywhere, so it is no longer possible to use a sack with croup in which pests were in charge. Also, rodents spoil the bark of fruit trees, which can lead to the death of seedlings. In Africa, for example, mice completely destroy coffee plantations, causing huge damage to people.

Rodents suffer many diseases. The most dangerous in this regard are not brownies, but field mice. In their feces and urine contain dangerous bacteria that can enter the human body and provoke an epidemic of pseudotuberculosis, hemorrhagic fever, tick-borne encephalitis and other fatal ailments.

Benefit

It's hard to overestimate it. And first of all she again proceeds from what the mouse eats. The basis of the diet of some species includes insects. Eating them, the rodent rid mankind of harmful and annoying insects, which can also often carry viruses. Simultaneously, being a delicacy for foxes and owls, they make possible their existence. By storing stocks near their minks, rodents do not always fully use them. And the remaining fruits sprout, give the forest a new tree or a field for a fruitful culture.

The benefit of mice for mankind lies in the fact that these animals are often used in laboratory experiments. They are tested vaccines and medicines, which in the future are of great benefit to mankind. In addition, these animals are excellent pets that do not require special care. Even the smallest child can look after pets. Being unpretentious and small, and also easily yieldable, they will become favorites for your entire family.