Mouse

This article is about the small mammal. See mouse for the computer pointing device.

Mice (the plural of mouse) are small herbivorous rodent mammals. There are many species of mice. The common house mouse Mus musculus is widely distributed worldwide, having accompanied human travelers to many countries beyond its natural range. Typically mice will feed on seeds and other plant material, though mousetraps for the house mouse are usually baited with cheese.

Mice and Mankind

• Mice are a serious agricultural pest, damaging growing crops and stealing stored grain.
• Mice are a disease vector for several diseases including food poisoning and bubonic plague.
• The laboratory mouse is widely used as an experimental organism in biomedical research. There are many specialised breeds, such as the nude mouse, a hairless mutant strain used in cancer research.
• Mice are commonly kept as pets, and are also bred as food items for other, carnivorous pet animals.

Mice in the Bible

Mice are mentioned several times in the Bible; Leviticus 11:29 declares them unclean. In 1 Samuel, after the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant, they were afflicted by God with plagues of mice and of hemmorhoids, until they returned the Ark with a tribute of five golden hemmorhoids and five golden mice:

Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. 1 Samuel 6, 4-5 (KJV)

Mice in popular culture

• Mickey Mouse, the Disney animated character.
• Mighty Mouse, the animated mouse superhero.
• Jerry, of Tom and Jerry, the animated cat-and-mouse duo.
• Itchy, of Itchy and Scratchy, from the Simpsons.