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The genus Mus or typical mice refers to a specific genus of muroid rodents, all typically called mice (the adjective "muroid" comes from the word "Muroidea", which is a large superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, gerbils, and many other relatives), though the term can be used for other rodents.
House mouse (Mus musculus) Phase-specific vocalizations of male mice at the initial encounter during the courtship sequence. A mouse (pl.: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate.
Rank Common name Scientific name Status Maximum body mass [kg (lb)] Image Notes 1: Giant pacarana: Josephoartigasia monesi: Fossil: 500 kg (1,100 lb)
A print showing cats and mice from a 1501 German edition of Aesop's fables Murids feature in literature, including folk tales and fairy stories. In the Pied Piper of Hamelin , retold in many versions since the 14th century, including one by the Brothers Grimm , a rat-catcher lures the town's rats into the river, but the mayor refuses to pay him.
Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size. Usually the common name of a large muroid rodent will include the word "rat", while a smaller muroid's name will include "mouse". The common terms rat and mouse are not taxonomically specific. There are 56 known species of rats in the world.
Mice are good jumpers, climbers, and swimmers, and are generally considered to be thigmotactic, i.e. usually attempt to maintain contact with vertical surfaces. [citation needed] Mice are mostly crepuscular or nocturnal; they are averse to bright lights. The average sleep time of a captive house mouse is reported to be 12.5 hours per day.
In the English language, many animals have different names depending on whether they are male, female, young, domesticated, or in groups. The best-known source of many English words used for collective groupings of animals is The Book of Saint Albans , an essay on hunting published in 1486 and attributed to Juliana Berners . [ 1 ]
Rattus norvegicus. Rodents are animals that gnaw with two continuously growing incisors.Forty percent of mammal species are rodents, and they inhabit every continent except Antarctica.