mouse

Introduction
General features
Natural history
Geographic distribution and habitat
Classification and evolutionary history

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Illustration of a house mouse, Mus musculus, showing a small, brownish-gray rodent with large ears, a pointed nose, and a long tail. A scale above indicates its length is about 10 centimeters or 4 inches.

At a Glance

mouse summary

Quizzes

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Deadliest Animals Quiz

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024

Animal Factoids

Related Questions

How are house mice classified within the family Muridae?
How can house mice contaminate stored food and damage property?
How did house mice spread from Eurasia to other parts of the world?
How did the earth-coloured mouse reach northern Sumatra?
How do feral house mice differ in colour from native house mice?
How do knockout mice help researchers learn about the roles of genes?
How do laboratory mice help scientists study human diseases?
How do mice in the genus Mus build and use burrows?
How do spiny mice in the subgenus Pyromys differ from other species of Mus?
How do the fur colours of Mus species vary?
How does the Ryukyu mouse dig its burrows in rice-field dikes?
How does the diet of an outdoor house mouse differ from the diet of an indoor house mouse?
How large is the flat-haired mouse of peninsular India?
How long can laboratory house mice live?
How long is the gestation period of a house mouse?
How many litters can a female house mouse produce in one year?
How many species are classified in the rodent genus Mus?
How many young are usually born in a house mouse litter?
What do house mice look like in native Eurasian populations?
What foods do wild mice in the genus Mus eat?
What habitats do house mice occupy in temperate regions?
When did mice in the genus Mus enter Africa?
When did the evolutionary history of the genus Mus begin?
When do mice in the genus Mus breed in temperate regions?
Where are spiny mice of the subgenus Pyromys found?
Where do researchers think the genus Mus originated?
Where do shrew-mice in the subgenus Coelomys live?
Where do species in the subgenus Nannomys live?
Where has the fawn-coloured mouse been introduced outside its natural range?
Which four subgenera make up the genus Mus?
Which habitats are used by African mice in the subgenus Nannomys?
Which living species is the closest relative of the genus Mus?
Which physical traits are common among mice in the genus Mus?
Which predators eat mice in natural ecosystems?
Which species of Mus are known to have been introduced beyond their natural ranges by humans?
Why are Thomas’s pygmy mouse and its relatives rarely seen above ground?
Why are house mice considered agricultural pests?
Why are rice fields important habitats for Ryukyu mice?
Why can house mice survive in buildings and aboard ships?
Why do house mice have a strong musky smell?
Why do house mice move from fields into houses after crops are harvested?
Why do house mice reproduce so successfully around humans?
Why have animal welfare groups criticized the use of mice in medical research?
What is the main characteristics that define vertebrates?
How are vertebrates classified in terms of their morphology?
How do amphibians differ from reptiles in terms of reproduction?
How are mammals distinct from other animals?
Why is the platypus a mammal?

Science Mammals Rodents, Rabbits, Insectivores & Shrews

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External Websites

Sheffield Hallam University - The best laid schemes oï¿½ mice and men : the evolution of the computer mouse
A-Z Animals - Mouse
Animal Corner - Mice
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Mouse models of human disease
LiveScience - Mouse Facts: Habits, Habitat & Types of Mice

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

mouse - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
mouse - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

mouse

rodent genus

Also known as: Mus

Written by

Guy Musser

Archbold Curator Emeritus Vertebrate Zoology and Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, U.S.

Guy Musser

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

mouse, (genus Mus), the common name generally but imprecisely applied to rodents found throughout the world with bodies less than about 12 cm (5 inches) long. In a scientific context, mouse refers to any of the 38 species in the genus Mus, which is the Latin word for mouse. The house mouse (Mus musculus), native to Central Asia, has established itself with human populations in many other parts of the world. All rodents with a...

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