How did house mice spread from Eurasia to other parts of the world?

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is native to Eurasia, but it has spread worldwide primarily through its close association with humans.12

This global expansion was facilitated by the mouse's highly adaptive nature and specific behavioral traits that allow it to thrive in human-altered environments. Key factors in their dispersal include:1

• Human Transport: House mice are capable of surviving aboard ships and within buildings, allowing them to travel along with human trade and migration routes.1
• Adaptability: They are agile climbers and jumpers with a rapid rate of reproduction, enabling them to quickly establish populations in new areas where humans have settled.1
• Resource Exploitation: As humans transitioned to sedentary agricultural practices, they provided a reliable source of food and shelter. House mice readily moved into these man-made habitats, including homes and agricultural storage areas, to exploit these resources.13

While Eurasia remains their natural range, these rodents have successfully colonized diverse environments globally by following human expansion, effectively becoming a commensal species that thrives wherever humans do.12