Mouse Fun Facts

The word mouse means “thief.”—same meaning as the word ferret: though ferret is a Latin word and mouse is a 4,000-year-old Sanskrit word.

He’s Romantic

According to a study by Dr. Tim Holy, male mice sing squeaky love songs when smelling or seeing an attractive female. The squeaks are very high pitched that humans can’t hear them (30kHz-100kHz). While studying these sounds, Dr. Holy found a musical pattern in them and compared them to bird songs.

Reproduction

Mice breed year round.

Mice can start breeding before they reach 2 months old.

Mice gestation period is less than 3 weeks (about 20 days).

Each litter has about 8-14 pups.

Each female mouse can have 5-10 litters each year.

A single female mouse can deliver 120 or more mice each year.

New born are hairless and have closed eyes and ears.

Mice life span is 1 to 2 years.

Mickey Mouse: The Most Popular Mouse

Walt Disney drew the mouse and named him Mortimer Mouse. His wife Lillian suggested Mickey Mouse.

The first appearance of a Mickey Mouse in a production was Steamboat Willies (November 18, 1928).

Walt Disney himself was the first voice of Mickey Mouse and continued to be for almost 20 years (until 1946).

Fun Facts about Other Animals