June 09, 2023
By Aswirbad Das
They might be ridiculed by most, but mice are among the most fascinating creatures on the planet. Not to mention, they have evolved the same way humans did–over thousands of years of grind! Here’s a look at 7 little-known facts about mice.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Mice don’t have the greatest eyesight, but they do have a stellar sense of taste, smell and hearing. These colour-blind creatures may just be able to locate objects a few feet away, but they can detect motion from up to 45 feet away and hear frequencies ranging from 1,000 to 91,000 Hertz.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Unlike humans, mice are monophyodonts, meaning the teeth they are born with are the teeth they have for the rest of their lives. And since their incisors are always growing, they have to constantly find things to gnaw or chew and wear them down to suitable lengths!
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Mice are quite adept at communicating with one another through physical, odourous and vocal languages. They can emit ultrasound to chat with each other, which humans cannot hear, and can also convey their mood through facial expressions and body language.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Mice maintain a sophisticated social structure complete with leaders, assistants, outcasts and even rebels. They are also great caretakers for the sick or injured in the group, and companionship for them forms a big part of their social identity!
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Although they seem fluffy, mice are able to squeeze themselves into the tiniest of cracks. They are said to have a collapsible rib cage, which means that their ribs are able to bend and contort to allow them to push through openings much smaller than their own body size.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Nest building technique is genetic in mice. Some build nests with long entrances and escape tunnels, while others build nests with shorter entrances and no escape routes at all. If they are separated from their parents and raised without any external help, they will build the nests using the same technique as their parents’.
Mice move really fast, and so do their heartbeats! Their tiny hearts beat anywhere from 310 to an astonishing 840 times per minute. To put that into perspective, a human’s heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons