House mice. House mouse. Photos of house mice

For some, the small gray animal causes disgust, for others it causes tenderness. But whether a person wants it or not, the mouse is his constant companion. So why not get to know this animal better? How long do mice live? How do they triple their homes? What do they eat and how do they reproduce? How to choose a pet and provide it with comfortable conditions?

• Class: Mammals;
• Order: Rodents;
• Suborder: Mouse-like;
• Family: Mice;
• Subfamily: Mouse.

Mouse - description and external characteristics

These small rodents are distributed throughout the entire earth, excluding the extreme northern and high-mountain regions. The closest relatives of mice are jerboas, mole rats, hamsters and dormice. And more distantly related are rats, chinchillas, porcupines, beavers, Guinea pigs. In total, the Mouse subfamily includes 121 genera and more than 300 species.

The mouse is a small animal with an elongated and pointed muzzle, large round ears and bulging beady eyes. Long, hairless or slightly furred tail - distinguishing feature animal. The limbs, which are not the same in length, are adapted for digging and moving along vertical and horizontal surfaces. The body length of a rodent can vary from 3 to 20 cm, weight - from 15 to 50 g.

Mice have a special bite. On the lower and upper jaws the animal has 2 chisel-shaped teeth, which are continuously growing. Rodents are forced to constantly grind them down, which is why their incisors are very sharp.

Animals from the Mouse family have good eyesight and can distinguish between red and yellow shades. The usual body temperature of these rodents ranges from 37.5 to 39⁰C. The maximum lifespan of mice is 4 years.

How mice behave in their natural environment

In order for rodents to maintain a constant body temperature, they need to be active in winter and summer, day and night. Gluttony and fussiness for mice - character traits, helping to survive and leave offspring.

In the fall, animals begin collecting provisions in a burrow or on the surface of the ground, where the “warehouse” is camouflaged with earth. And if in the off-season rodents are awake at night and sleep during the day, then in winter time activity continues around the clock. In spring and autumn, when there is no shortage of food and no temperature fluctuations, mice actively reproduce.

Mice live large families, since together it is easier for them to defend themselves, get food, build homes, and raise offspring. In a mouse pack there is a leader who maintains order in the group. Female mice are peaceful. But young males do not always put up with their subordinate position. Stomping with its hind legs and aggressive tail strikes indicate the animal’s intention to conquer the “throne.” Inter-family clashes can lead to the disintegration of the pack.

Mice spend time in burrows most time, raising offspring, escaping from danger, stocking up on food, or resting after eating it. Maximum depth burrows are 70 cm, and the total length of passages can reach 20 m. Some species of mice build nests in thickets of tall grasses (little mouse) or live in tree roots and old stumps (forest mouse).

Minks can be temporary or permanent, and the latter can be summer or winter. Temporary housing for animals is simply planned. The permanent mouse hole has a spacious nesting chamber and several entrances. In summer burrows where rodents give birth, bedding is created from fluff, blades of grass, shavings and feathers. And in winter, a pantry is set up for food supplies.

What does a mouse eat in the wild?

In summer and autumn, when the time comes for the harvest to ripen, mice begin to actively prepare food reserves for winter. The main food of animals is grain crops, as well as seeds. various plants. Field mice love wheat, barley, oats, and buckwheat.

Rodents living in forests feed on cedar and hazel nuts, maple and beech seeds, acorns, and small insects. And animals living near bodies of water prefer to eat leaves, roots and stems of plants, berries, grasshoppers, caterpillars, larvae, spiders and other invertebrates. House mice living near people willingly adapt to the human diet and eat bread, meat, dairy products, and sweets.

Animals living in the wild drink very little. The mouse body independently produces water by breaking down food. Additional sources of moisture are fleshy plant leaves, fruits, and vegetables.

Enemies of mice

The mouse is a key link in the food chain of many ecosystems. Many wild animals depend on the existence of this small rodent. For mice living in the forest, the main enemies are foxes, martens, arctic foxes, ferrets, stoats, weasels, lynxes and even wolves. Predators easily tear apart burrows and can eat up to 30 small animals a day.

Mice are the main food for snakes and large lizards. Reptiles such as boas, pythons, vipers, and radiant snakes swallow their prey whole. During the hunt, the snake freezes, and then suddenly attacks the victim, biting it with poisonous teeth, and then waits for the animal to become motionless.

There is also danger lurking for mice from above. Among birds there are predators that differ in the power of their beaks, visual acuity and hearing. These are owls, buzzards, hawks, eagles, owls, kites. They hunt during the day or night, making swift attacks from the air.

The lifespan of rodents directly depends on environmental conditions. The average is 2-3 years. Greatest influence the lifespan of animals is influenced by factors such as climate, nutrition, infectious diseases and attacks by wild animals.

Both frost and dry, hot weather can be detrimental to mice. Too sharp temperature fluctuations destroy numerous rodent colonies. Often the weather is related to the opportunity to eat well. An inadequate diet significantly shortens the life of a mouse.

Many species of mice that live away from people live slightly shorter or shorter lives. more than a year. And an animal tamed by humans, receiving balanced nutrition and care, can live up to 6 years.

Reproduction in mice

The mouse is a polygamous animal. In nature, one male fertilizes from 2 to 12 females. Over 12 months, mice have from 3 to 8 litters. The female reaches sexual maturity 10 weeks after birth. At this time, she begins to go into heat, which lasts 5 days and is expressed in special behavior.

If after coating the female fails to become pregnant, a new estrus occurs within a week. If fertilization is successful, the female animal is expected to give birth in 17-24 days. There are from 3 to 9 cubs in one litter. Female mice give birth at night. Babies, when born, are unable to move, hear or see. They dont have hairline, and the size ranges from 2 to 3 cm. Mice develop rapidly:

• 3 days - fluff appears on the body;
• 5 days - the cubs begin to hear;
• Day 7 - the animal’s body weight doubles;
• 14 days - palpebral fissures appear;
• Day 19 - the mice begin to eat on their own;
• 25 days - the length of the body reaches 500 mm (the tail is 15-20 mm shorter) and the mouse is already sexually mature.

Decorative mice develop a little slower. It is recommended to mate them no more than 2-3 times a year. Repeated births exhaust the female, and each subsequent offspring becomes weaker.

Types of wild mice

Shrew or shrew mouse (Myosorex)

Animals from the shrew family are divided into only 14 species. This mouse with long nose differs in small size (6-10 cm). Only the born cubs weigh less than 1 g. The animal’s nose, curved at the end, is called the proboscis. The animal's coat is shiny, thick, and silky; There are gray, ocher, reddish shades.

A mouse with a long cute nose navigates in space thanks to its sense of smell. It is an omnivore, but prefers to eat insects, as well as some vertebrates (frogs, baby rodents, small reptiles). Without food, this animal can live no more than 10 hours.

Shrews live in large concentrations in South America, Africa, Australia. This small mouse with a long nose feels great near bodies of water, wet forests and low-growing thickets.

Japanese mouse (Sylvaemus mystacinus)

A mouse with large round ears and a long nose. It is also called Asia Minor. Inhabits the islands of Japan, southwestern Georgia, and the Kuril Islands of Russia. Prefers mountain heights, mixed forests, with dense shrubby undergrowth.

Japanese mice do not dig holes, inhabiting voids in trees and buildings, accumulations of stones and dense bushes. The length of the body and tail are almost equal (up to 13 cm). Only 6 reproduce warm months per year, during this time they give birth to 2-3 litters of 3-6 cubs.

Wood mouse (Sylvaemus sylvaticus)

A distinctive feature of the animal is a yellow round spot on the chest. The length of the rodent is 12 cm, the tail is 7-10 cm. These mice can occupy abandoned holes, rotten stumps, voids under stones and other natural shelters. The wood mouse is especially common in Siberia, Western Asia, Altai, deciduous forests Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova. It feeds on cereals, seeds, nuts, and insects.

Gerbil mouse (Gerbillidae)

In the Mouse gerbil family, gerbils are classified into a separate subfamily, numbering more than 100 species of animals. The natural habitat of these animals is arid steppes of Eastern Europe, African and asian deserts and semi-deserts. They are active during the daytime; In winter they do not hibernate, but their lifestyle becomes more sluggish.

Externally, the gerbil mouse looks more like a rat. The length of the animal can reach 20 cm and weight 250 g. The color of the animal is brownish-sandy on the back and lighter on the chest. The well-furred long tail disappears into dangerous situations, a new one does not grow. The gerbil mouse can walk on its hind legs and jump over long distances (up to 4 m). It feeds on grains of wheat, barley, corn, millet, as well as fruits and nuts.

Little mouse (Micromys minutus)

The name of the genus is associated with the miniature size of the animal. Maximum length the body of the animal is 7 cm, and the tail - 5 cm. The animal prefers to live in the steppe and forest-steppe, in grain fields, in floodplain meadows. Among the grass you can find spherical houses of this rodent, made of dry stems and leaves.

The baby mouse is distinguished by its fiery red coloration of its skin, which appears after the first molt. It feeds on invertebrates, green leaves, and grains. The little mouse is peaceful, quickly adapts to a new environment, and therefore can be tamed by people.

White mouse (Mus musculus)

It is also called the house mouse or house mouse because the animal has adapted to live near humans. In living quarters, sheds, and storerooms, these rodents hide complex, multi-channel burrows, where they live in large colonies. Not far from their burrows, they make storage areas for food: seeds, nuts, crackers, pieces of vegetables.

The white mouse is not a large animal, its length reaches 8-11 cm. The long tail is covered with sparse hair, and scaly rings are clearly visible on it. The color of the animal’s skin depends on the species, but the fur on the back is darker than on the belly. The house mouse lives on all continents, in all climatic zones and is a faithful companion of man.

Grass mouse (Arvicanthis)

The length of the body of an individual, including the tail, can exceed 30 cm. Gray or brown wool consists of elongated soft hairs and stiff bristles, as well as hard spiked hairs. individual species. Their rhythm of life is similar to that of humans - they are awake during the day and sleep at night.

The homeland of grass mice is Southeast Africa. These rodents love moisture and live mainly in river floodplains and in humid tropical plantations. They can both dig holes and occupy other people's homes.

Field mouse (Apodemus agrarius)

The field mouse is not like other rodents of the Mouse family. The animal has a clear, contrasting color stripe on its skin, which runs along the entire spine, from the muzzle to the base of the tail. The size of the animal varies from 8 to 12 cm without a tail. The color, depending on the species, can vary from light gray to dark brown and black. Housing harvest mouse builds independently or uses suitable structures.

The field mouse inhabits the territories of Western and Northern Europe, as well as part of Asia: China, Sakhalin, Taiwan. The animal loves meadows and fields, in deciduous thickets, but is also found in the city. The field mouse feeds on invertebrate insects, cereals, plant stems and fruits.

House mouse: choosing a pet

Decorative mice are friendly, non-aggressive, clean, quickly get used to their owners, and are very easy to care for. When choosing an animal, you should pay attention to the habits and appearance of the rodent. Animal with good health looks like that:

• the fur does not stick out, there are no bald patches;
• teeth white, straight;
• the animal has moist and shiny eyes;
• the animal does not have mucous discharge from the nostrils and eyes;
• The mouse is actively moving and feeding.

We must not forget how many years mice live. The maximum lifespan of these animals is 3-4 years, so it is better to choose a pet under the age of 12 months. You need to pay attention to the sex of the rodent, since several males will not get along in one home.

Males are slightly larger than females, their body resembles an elongated pear. A 30-day-old male mouse has formed testicles under its tail. And in the female, from the 3rd day after birth, 5 pairs of rudimentary nipples are clearly visible.

The house mouse is a collective animal, so it is better to purchase several individuals. If further breeding of animals is planned, then males and females must be kept separately until mating.

Thanks to modern selection, ornamental mice have hundreds of species, among which there are singing, “waltzing”, and animals with unusual coat colors (white albino mice, pure black mice, ashy and cream-colored animals).

Some types of mice are especially popular:

• Japanese dwarf mouse- very miniature, up to 5 cm long. The white skin is decorated with black and brown spots. Friendly, clean and energetic. Leads night look life. There are 5-7 mice in a litter.
• Spiny mouse or akomis - large decorative mouse with many needles located throughout the back. The color is reddish-brown or blackish-red. The neck is framed by a voluminous fat hump. The nose is elongated, the eyes are bulging, the ears are large and oval in shape. The mouse is very active and quickly gets used to people.
• Decorative African striped mouse - has an interesting coloring: light and dark stripes alternate along the body. Doesn't come from an animal unpleasant odor. It climbs well on vertical surfaces. The striped mouse is a very shy animal. In case of danger, it can pretend to be dead or jump to a height of up to 2.5 m. The body length rarely exceeds 10 cm.

Care and maintenance of mice at home

The house where decorative mice live can be a cage, an aquarium, a transparent plastic box. For a small number of animals, a dwelling measuring 25*45*22 cm is sufficient. The bottom of the terrarium is covered with sawdust from fruit trees or hygienic filling made from corn, paper, or straw. Decorative rodents need to change their bedding at least once a week, but preferably every 3 days. The top of the terrarium is covered with a lid with holes for oxygen.

Several shelters are equipped inside the house, preferably on different heights. All types of mice are very active and run around in natural environment up to 40 km per day, so the terrarium must have a running wheel. You can supply water to rodents through a hanging drinking bowl or pour it into a small saucer.

A decorative mouse is an animal that easily gets cold and overheats. It is better to place the animal’s house away from the window, protect the cage from drafts and bright sunlight. The ideal temperature for these rodents is 20-22⁰С.

What do decorative mice eat?

All animals from the Mouse family are prone to obesity, so you need to know what the ornamental mouse eats. The basis of the animal’s diet is cereals: barley, wheat, corn, sorghum. The grain should not be ground. Usually house mice are very small and eat up to 1 tsp per day. stern.

The animals' favorite treats are sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, caraway seeds, Walnut, peanuts and hazelnuts. Vegetables and fruits are necessary in the animal's diet. It is better if the vegetables are green: cauliflower, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, parsley. And the fruits are not very sweet and juicy: apple, banana, quince, pear, plum. Occasionally you can give bread and egg whites.

What mice don’t eat: citrus fruits, smoked meats, meat, food for cats and dogs.

Varieties wild rodents have long been considered enemies of man. The field mouse damages grain crops. House mouse contaminates food with feces and urine, renders books, clothes, and interior items unusable. Many types of mice carry infectious diseases: salmonellosis, hepatitis, encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, false tuberculosis and others.

But mice also bring significant benefits to people. Cosmetologists and doctors have been using mice for centuries to conduct all kinds of experiments. This is due to the extraordinary fertility of rodents and the similarity of the human and mouse genomes.

Zoologists raise special food mice for pythons, agamas, boas, geckos, snakes, ferrets, owls and cats. Sometimes decorative rodents are used for such purposes and sold to pet stores.

IN ancient Greece white mouse was considered a sacred animal. Colonies of thousands of animals lived in the temples. They were heroes of legends and myths. Thought that white mouse helps oracles see the future, and the active reproduction of animals promised well-being and good harvest. The black mouse was considered a product of dirt and was subject to extermination.

In Japan they believed that a white mouse brings happiness. See the place where a colony of rodents lives - good sign, and a dead mouse meant grief. The Chinese considered this animal a symbol of wisdom and honesty. But among the ancient Persians and Egyptians, on the contrary, both the white and black mice were endowed with destructive, evil force. They associated rodent invasions with the machinations of the terrible god Ahriman.

Cats appeared in the human home due to the dominance of harmful rodents. Even 6 thousand years ago, people began to feed wild cats, and they, in turn, began to protect their food supplies. But even now mice remain a favorite pastime for domestic cats. This long-standing enmity is the basis of many fairy tales, songs, cartoons, and proverbs. In the Internet era, special videos for cats have appeared. A mouse on the screen becomes a reason for a domestic cat to remember its hunting instincts.

• Mice don't like cheese at all. Rather, animals will prefer whole grains or seeds. Favorite treat for these small rodents - smoked lard. It is often used as bait in a mousetrap.
• Just one year is how long a male marsupial mouse lives. Nature gave these animals only 2 weeks to reproduce. After mating, which lasts 10-13 hours, the male dies to give life to his babies.
• Great importance communication between mice has an odor. With the help of “odorous” marks (from feces, urine, secretions from glands), rodents delimit territory, orient themselves in space, and transmit information to each other. Each mouse family has its own unique smell, which indicates the genetic affiliation of the animal.
• The cheerful, bug-eyed mouse, the restless little one, is the constant heroine of the modern multimedia world. Fun tablet and phone games offer to catch the mouse on the screen; For a domestic cat this can become a real drug, and for its owner it can be a reason to laugh heartily.

Mice are the smallest rodents on the planet, bringing both benefit and harm to people. They spoil crop supplies and are carriers of dangerous infections. But the use of mice in scientific research, helps save human lives.

Diverse in appearance and lifestyle, mice are often easy prey for predatory reptiles, birds and mammals. Because of this, animals rarely live long lives. Their small size, calm temperament and funny behavior make these rodents suitable for keeping as pets. Animals that are lucky enough to become human pets live much longer than their wild relatives.

As soon as we talk about this rodent, we immediately ask ourselves: are mice domestic? Aren't house mice and decorative mice the same thing? It turns out there is a difference. Naturally, the house mouse is a relative of the white decorative mouse, otherwise it is called the laboratory mouse. However, this is its wild relative. Then there arises next question How can a house mouse be wild? Everything is very simple. House mouse is just the name of the species, which is explained by the existence and development of the rodent next to people. And naturally, an animal with such a name cannot be tamed. So it’s not unusual to see a domestic mouse in home nurseries today.

Name in other languages:
Mus musculus - translated from Latin means house mouse. Mus musculus musculus (domesticus, bactrianus, castaneus) - in Latin, the name of the species varies and depends on the regions where a particular type of rodent is common. IN English language mouse, or German maus, is defined as a species of field mouse, but is sometimes used to designate all orders of rodents.

Classification:
The house mouse belongs to the kingdom of animals, the phylum of chordates, the subphylum of vertebrates, the class of mammals, the infraclass of placentals, the order of rodents, the family of mice, the genus and species of house mice.

Habitat house mouse:
These rodents are rightly called cosmopolitan, as they live in almost every corner of the planet. Unless you find a domestic mouse in the North, in Antarctica, or in high mountainous areas, where it is too cold and there is not enough oxygen. However, house mice also bypassed certain regions Eastern Siberia, in Taimyr. Most likely due to northern location continents. This mouse species originated in the northern part of India, Africa and Western Asia. The widespread distribution of domestic mice is a merit of humanity, since rodents are not whimsical creatures and feel great in any landscape. They usually settle next to our houses, in barns, basements or near them. Since this mouse needs a cozy hole in the wild, it chooses favorable, soft soil for its construction. Living next to a person, mice, as a rule, hide their existence, build their nests in secluded places - in attics, in the basements of houses and on garbage dumps.

House Mouse Description:
Each of us at least once in our lives has had to encounter this amazing animal; the body size of a domestic mouse is from 6 to 9 cm, the ears are small round in shape, the tail is equal to the size of the body. On appearance and the rodent’s tail is not entirely pleasant to the touch; it is covered with keratinized scales mixed with short hairs. A house mouse weighs no more than 30 grams. and can easily fit in a human palm. The most common color is gray-brown. However, in living corners today you can find house mice of completely different shades - from snow-white to black and its derivatives. It is quite difficult to distinguish a female from a male, since their superficial characteristics are typical. Usually the female has ten nipples on her abdomen, leaving five pairs. The house mouse is a nocturnal and quite active creature; they are able to move at speeds of up to 12 km. at one o'clock. They are able to climb steep surfaces, and even swimming is not difficult for her. Due to long tail, the mouse perfectly regulates and controls its balance. The existence of mice near humans forces them to adapt and adapt to the human regime.

House mouse nutrition:
Living next to a person, a house mouse becomes a pest. She chews everything that gets in her way, even dried glue and dry soap. But also undoubtedly. Spoils food. Living in freedom. The mouse feeds mainly on grain crops, some fruits, leaves and insect larvae. And if this rodent is your favorite pet, its diet is varied - from grains such as oats, millet, corn, seeds, cottage cheese and cheese, various vegetables and fruits. You should not overuse dry food from pet stores and poor food, as the animal may get sick. It is not recommended to give fortified supplements and minerals.

Reproduction of a house mouse:
For houses where rodents have settled, this is a real problem, since they reproduce very intensively. Females breed their offspring all year round 5-10 times, and their litter is extensive: 3 to 12 mice. Immediately after giving birth, the female is ready for fertilization again. After a month and a half of existence, the females are ready for full reproduction of offspring, since by this time their sexual maturity is fully formed. The cubs are gestated for about three weeks. Cubs are born naked. They are blind and only after twelve days are separated from the female and lead an active independent life. The mouse family consists of a dominant male and a pair of females and a brood.

House Mouse Contents:
Living next to a person, a house mouse surprisingly turns into a sociable and responsive pet. Zoologists recommend keeping rodents in a metal cage or in a glass terrarium. A rodent cannot damage such houses with its sharp teeth. It should be remembered that an ordinary house mouse needs space where it can actively frolic. The home should not restrict the rodent's movements, but a few toys will not be superfluous. Inside the cage there should be a house for sleeping; you can make it yourself from a box or a small jar, a drinking bowl and a feeder. The mouse cage should be kept in order every day, and the bedding should be changed at least twice a week. It is not difficult to tame a house mouse; all you need to do is pick it up more often and call it by name. And soon your pet will become true friend and will be able to distinguish you even by smell.

Interesting Facts:

Do you know where the unpleasant mouse smell comes from? Mouse urine has such a specific smell, which can cause disgust not only in humans, but also in animals. If a house mouse is frightened by something, it is able to secrete a certain substance that is an alarming odor for certain types of animals.

Galina Sizova
Summary of a conversation about pets

Target: Summarize a specific idea about pets and form a concept « Pets» .Learn to establish essential signs for generalizations: they live with a person, they are useful, the person takes care of them. To develop the ability to fill generalized essential features with specific content. Develop the ability to supplement the answers of peers.

Didactic game "Birds, animals, fish".

Target: Strengthen children’s ability to classify and name animals, birds, fish.

Experience "Everyone needs water".

Target: Give children an idea of ​​the role of water in plant life.

Developmental environment: Paintings depicting pets. Two

peas, saucers, cotton wool, water, toy mouse.

Progress of the lesson

Educator: Guys, today I was going to see the children in junior group to tell them about domestic and wild animals, but all the illustrations that I carried for them fell and got mixed up. And now I don't know where Pets, where are the wild ones? Can you help me figure it out? Then place the wild ones on the easel on one side animals, and on the other – home.

/Children complete the task/

Tell us which illustrations show wild animals, and on which ones – homemade.

Name which ones home(wild) animals you still know?

Bottom line: pets live with people, a person creates conditions for their life, feeds them, builds housing, treats them. All Pets benefit people on the farm (provide food nutrition:milk, meat, wool; used in work: horse, camel.)

Small, gray,

Afraid of cats

Who is this? (Mouse)

Educator: And now the difficult task - define: mouse - what animal, domestic or wild? Where does the mouse live? Who is she afraid of? Is the person afraid? Does a person care about her? Does it benefit humans?

Conclusion: house mouse not pet, and wild, she adapted to live next to a person, in his house.

The teacher invites the children to play a game "I know birds, animals, fish".

Children stand in a circle. The leader stands in a circle and speaks: I know birds." Then he throws the ball to the child, who must name the birds. Animals and fish are called similarly. (You cannot name the same bird, fish, or animal.)

3. The teacher invites the children to the table for an experiment.

Asks children:

– What do you think will happen if you and I don’t water? houseplants (They will dry out without water, the leaves will wither)

Water is essential for plant life and growth. Let's watch with you. Let's take two peas. We place one of them on a saucer in a wet cotton wool, and the second on another saucer in a dry cotton wool. We'll put the saucers on the windowsill. Which pea will sprout and which will not? Why? As a result of this observation, children will clearly see the role of water in the development and growth of plants.

Publications on the topic:

Lesson summary “Visiting Pets”“Visiting Pets” Integrated educational areas: socio-communicative cognitive.

Conversation about pets develop creative imagination. learn to find signs of similarities between pets and objects located around them. develop logical.

Summary of direct educational activities “Autumn gatherings. Conversation about pets" Program content. Strengthen children's knowledge about seasonal changes in nature. Expand your understanding of the life of pets in winter.

Summary of educational activities for expanding children's knowledge about domestic animals Abstract of GCD on ecology in middle group“Pets” Goal: to expand children’s knowledge about domestic animals and their cubs. Software.

Leisure scenario “Journey to the land of pets” Goal: To consolidate children's knowledge about domestic animals (they live with a person, a person loves his helpers, takes care of them - feeds them, looks after them,...

"Autumn Gatherings" Lesson-conversation about pets Objectives: = consolidate children's knowledge about domestic animals; = develop the ability to identify signs of similarity and difference between animals; = recognize animals.

Outline of a lesson on familiarization with the outside world “Conversation about pets” Goal: -to form ideas about domestic animals (they live next to a person, benefit him, the person takes care of them: feeds, treats);.

Nowadays, almost every person has a favorite animal in their home. For some people it becomes a cat or a dog. And there are people who prefer more extreme species: snakes, crocodiles and ferrets. IN Lately appeared new trend- have a pet bat in the house. What kind of living creature is this? How to care for her? What should I feed her? Answers to the most important questions can be found in the article.

Main characteristics

Who is a domestic bird? This is a typical representative of the order Chiroptera. You can recognize it among other individuals by several distinctive features:

• Large, black eyes, which at first glance may seem quite cute.
• Small size.
• Fast and sudden movements while moving.
• Soft fur, the shade of which on the tummy is usually somewhat lighter than in other places.
• Very long limbs, with bones external sign look like a hook.

Another feature is the habitat in which the mouse is accustomed to living. They feel most comfortable in small dark places. Usually these are caves.

Many people wonder whether it is possible to keep a bat at home? Zoologists answer this question unequivocally - not recommended! It is worth noting that this is a rather exotic individual that is not adapted to domestic conditions. If, after all, a person decides to have a furry pet at home, then it is necessary to create appropriate conditions for it. a bat can only be kept in a spacious enclosure, in which it can fully move and hide from prying eyes.

1. It is recommended to lay clean paper on the floor and change it promptly.
2. You should definitely hang a thermometer near your habitat. This individual can exist when different conditions. For example, during meals the temperature should reach up to 30 degrees - this temperature is the most optimal for complete digestion. It should be a little cooler before bed.
3. The ends of the wire near the mesh must be carefully secured to avoid sharp corners that could cause injury to your pet.
4. Another important indicator- wet air. It is recommended to install a special device - a humidifier - near the mouse's house.

Pay special attention to the issue of keeping a domestic bat: only in as close as possible to natural conditions she will feel comfortable, you will avoid her whims and various diseases.

Nutritional Features

Very important question: what to feed a bat at home? The most important thing is that they need fluid in large quantities. Several drinking bowls, at least three, should be installed around the perimeter of the enclosure. It is recommended to change the water in them daily. Bats get their own food: worms, beetles, caterpillars, pupae, etc. Naturally, she will not be able to do this at home, so the owner himself will have to hunt for insects. Some pet stores sell special ready-made mixtures. Zoologists strongly recommend not to overfeed this individual. This is due to the fact that overeating will negatively affect digestive system, an upset stomach will cause excess weight. You should not take this issue lightly; remember that at home, an animal can die from any illness. Note that the bat will go into a long hibernation each winter, so there is no need to feed it until about three days before this period.

Behavior

A person who decides to become the owner of such an animal will undoubtedly be surprised by its behavior. The mouse will sleep almost all day, choosing a secluded place for this; it is unlikely that the livestock breeder will be able to see it. In the evening, the animal, on the contrary, will behave excessively active and will constantly move around the enclosure. Naturally, installing an aviary in the bedroom is rather unwise.

This is not at all an animal that can be picked up, stroked and caressed - you can only watch it.

The mouse sleeps interestingly - upside down, these are the most comfortable conditions for it, so it is worth providing all the conditions for its proper rest.

IN summer time she will start catching mosquitoes - this is the most interesting entertainment for her.

If you wish, you can feed the animal with homemade food: meat, milk or grain, but do not overdo it.

Where can I get it?

Many people see an animal with incredibly cute eyes in the picture and wonder where they can get the same animal. The easiest way is to go out into the forest and catch it. In some populated areas the mice fly into the house themselves, and its owner carefully receives the guest and lets him live with him. Another option is to buy it from an exotic pet store.

Adaptation conditions

It is worth keeping in mind that the bat is very freedom-loving. Living at home is very stressful for her. In order to avoid an unfavorable outcome, it is first worth considering the adaptation period for this living creature. First of all, you need to install an enclosure, the larger it is, the better. It is recommended to place it in a separate room for the first few days and limit the pet from constant observers. Think carefully about what to feed your pet bat. It is best to add live insects to it so that the mouse can hunt them itself and not lose its hunting skills.

As mentioned earlier, zoologists categorically do not recommend having such an individual in your home. This is due to several reasons:

• They are not used to living in a confined space; they need complete freedom of movement.
• Its activity is noticeably different from that of humans; naturally, it will cause discomfort at night.
• They make a lot of dirt, since representatives of this class are used to relieving themselves during the flight.

The domestic bat is a very capricious animal. If the created conditions seem unfavorable to her, she will fall into deep depression, which will lead to the inevitable death of the animal.

For many centuries, mice have lived next to humans. The attitude towards the small thieving animal has always been ambivalent. On the one hand - sabotage and spoilage of products, on the other - helping people in laboratory experiments. Today, relatives of the common house mouse are becoming very popular pets. It’s not surprising that mice have taken root here too, just remember the Russians folk tales or domestic cartoons, in which the “little mouse” is a constant participant in the events.

Decorative mice (as well as the rats that our material “Domestic Decorative Rats” tells about) quickly adapt, are unpretentious in their maintenance, have a variety of colors and are very funny. These small animals from the order of rodents are awake mainly at night, do not live long (on average 1.5 years and rarely live up to 2 years), are very fertile and reach sexual maturity early. Decorative varieties They easily get used to people and become tame.

It is better to choose a mouse in a nursery or at an exhibition, where they are guaranteed to be examined by a veterinarian. If you decide to take an animal from someone else’s hands or in a pet store, then there is always the possibility of infection from them with worms or other diseases. By the way, it is better to buy several females at once, because... they prefer to be in company, but it is better to keep males alone to avoid fights, sometimes with fatal. After purchase, we recommend transporting the mice home in a ventilated box or box with holes.

A pet- mouse

Colors of decorative mice

Bredted by breeders interesting varieties mice, differing in hair type (standard, longhaired, satin, curly) and a wide variety of colors.

The colors are “tan” (red tan on the main background) and “fox” (white tan).

The marked colors take into account the location of spots and color zones. These are tape, Dutch, broken marked, etc.

Variegated - colored specks are located on a main white background.

There are many more options, in particular wild color agouti, sable, chinchilla, Siamese and many others. You can find short-tailed and naked mice, so anyone who decides to have this curious animal at home will definitely find a pet to suit their taste.

Keeping and caring for decorative mice

House mice

Mice are usually kept in a metal cage, the volume of which must be selected so that each individual has a “living space” of at least 20x30 cm. When choosing a cage, remember that the mouse is capable of chewing through wood and many other materials, as well as squeezing into narrow crevices. It is better to choose a spacious room; animals are very active and need movement.