White mice family sylvanian families 3111

The mouse family or mice are small animals of the mammal class belonging to the order of rodents, which has not been finally classified. The huge family includes 4 subfamilies, which includes 147 genera and 701 species. Animals are found everywhere, especially for a species of mice called. The attitude of people towards these representatives of the fauna is ambiguous. Someone is fighting them, trying to rid their house of uninvited "guests", while others specially breed and tame small rodents.

General characteristics of mouse representatives

A large family of mice is not fully understood. On the territory of Russia, there are 13 species of animals from the order of rodents, which are representatives of 5 genera. All of them have a similar appearance, and lead almost the same lifestyle. Possessing a unique ability to adapt to any living conditions, mice feel great in all natural areas. The exceptions are the regions of the Far North and Antarctica. The ubiquitous distribution of various rodent species allows us to speak of the numerical dominance of their representatives among other mammals.

Interesting!
The familiar word "mouse" in translation from the Indo-European language means "thief", which is fully justified by the habits of a nimble animal.

Appearance:

The mammal has a small elongated body. Its dimensions, depending on the species of the individual, range from 5 to 20 cm. This parameter is doubled due to the tail.
The body of the mouse is covered with short hair, the color palette of which is presented in gray, brown, red or brown. In nature, there are striped and variegated individuals, as well as snow-white albino rodents.
The average weight of a mouse is 20-50 grams.
Animals have short necks.
On a pointed, triangular-shaped muzzle, there are small black beady eyes and semicircular ears, providing good sound perception.
Due to sensitive thin whiskers - vibrissae, growing around the nose of the mouse, it is able to perfectly navigate the environment.
Short paws are equipped with 5 tenacious fingers, allowing to overcome significant obstacles and dig holes.

To get acquainted with representatives of the rodent order, it is advisable to carefully study the photos of the mouse posted on the site.

The animals, like other representatives of this family, have two pairs of large incisors located on the upper and lower jaws. They are very sharp and constantly growing - up to 1 mm per day, therefore they are subject to mandatory grinding. The inability to carry out this procedure can lead to the death of the mouse if the length of the organs reaches 2 cm.

Rodents are highly fertile. At the age of 3 months, the female is capable of conception and childbearing. A wild mouse living in natural conditions, in the warm season, animals living in heated rooms - all year round. The pregnancy lasts approximately 20-24 days and, after this time, from 3 to 12 cubs are born.

Mice are born absolutely helpless - blind, toothless, naked. The mouse feeds from about a month with milk. By day 10, the offspring is completely covered with wool, and after 3 weeks it becomes independent and settles. Under favorable conditions, the population is growing rapidly. The average is calculated 1-1.5 years. Genetically, they are able to exist for 5 years, but how long the animal lives depends on the specific circumstances.

On a note!
Bats do not belong to the mouse family. They are representatives of the order of bats, which is the second largest after rodents.

Lifestyle

The mouse is capable of causing great harm to humans. The rodent by its nature and food habits is a predator. But the pest mainly consumes plant foods and therefore its diet consists of seeds, fruits of trees or shrubs and cereals. Mice living in swampy areas, in wet or flooded meadows, feed on buds, foliage or flowers of various plants.

The herbivorous creature eats helpless chicks with appetite, drags eggs from nests, feasts on worms, various insects, replenishing the body's protein supply. Settling in a human dwelling or near it, mice are happy to destroy potatoes, sausages and bakery products, eggs and other food products that are easy to get to. They do not disdain soap, candles, toilet paper, books, polyethylene.

Interesting!
The strong smell of cheese can scare away a rodent.

Various breeds of mice, having settled almost all over the planet, equipping their habitat, can make nests from grass stalks, occupy abandoned burrows, old hollows, or dig complex underground systems with many passages. Once in a person's house, rodents settle under the floor, in attics, between walls. Unlike representatives that live in swamps and near water bodies, steppe, mountain and swim poorly.

The active life of animals coincides with the evening or night time of the day, but they try not to move a long distance from their home. The mouse has many enemies, these include birds of prey, reptiles, mongooses, foxes, cats, crows and other representatives of the fauna.

Mouse make huge stocks for the winter, but do not hibernate.

Mostly voracious and ubiquitous rodents are harmful, but there is one area of \u200b\u200bscience in which the omnivorous mouse is useful and irreplaceable. These are special laboratories of a scientific and medical profile, where animals become guinea pigs. Thanks to these small animals, many important discoveries were made in genetics, pharmacology, physiology and other sciences. Surprising is the fact that 80% of the genes that a living mouse is endowed with are similar to human structures.

The diversity of the family of mice

Animals are adapted to any conditions of existence in the best possible way. Dexterous, agile in movements, rodents can run fast, jump, climb, penetrate the narrowest holes, and if there is an obstacle in front of them, then sharp teeth are used. The description of the mouse would not be complete without mentioning that they are quite smart and cautious, but at the same time shameless, cunning and courageous. With excellent sense of smell and hearing, they are able to quickly respond to danger.

The names of mice, which are often associated with the habitat, like their varieties, are very diverse. Most often in nature there are such types of rodents:

African;
baby mice;
mountain;
brownies;
forest;
herbal;
striped;
spiny and other individuals.

On the territory of Russia, the most common are such 3 types of mice - house, forest and field.

Interesting!
Most mice live in packs. Relations are subject to a strict hierarchical system, headed by a male and several "privileged" females. Each mouse is assigned a certain territory where they can get food. The offspring are brought up together, but upon reaching the "age of majority" they are amicably expelled from the family for independent living.

The species of mice that exist in nature differ in size, color, and habitat. Let us consider in more detail some representatives of the order of rodents.

African mice

This subgroup includes 5 varieties of animals. The average length of an adult mouse is within 10 cm. The color of the back is chestnut, and the belly is most often presented in white. A mouse with a long tail, the length of which is 1.5 times the body, settles in trees and makes a nest in old hollows. The rodent feeds only on plant foods. The lifestyle of the mouse is nocturnal.

grass mice

Mostly representatives of this genus live in Africa, in the eastern part of the continent. The rodent mouse settles in thickets of bushes, occupies other people's minks or digs them on its own, but it can penetrate into people's houses. Animals are among the largest and can reach 19 cm in length (with a tail, this parameter is 35 cm), with a weight of more than 100 g. The fur of the back and sides of the mouse is painted in dark gray or grayish-brown tones. Individual stiff bristles are darker in color.

On a note!
The herbivorous mouse lives in large colonies, making devastating raids on farmland.

forest dweller

The animal lives in natural conditions, equipping its dwelling in bushes, on forest edges, in floodplains of rivers. The main habitats of mice are mixed and broad-leaved forests of the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Altai, and Eastern Europe. The body length is 10-11 cm, the tail is 7 cm, and the weight is approximately 20 g. The mouse with large round ears, which is its main difference from relatives, is characterized by a sharp muzzle, two-color colors. The upper part of the body and tail are painted in red-brown or even black tones, and the tummy, legs and fingers are white.

The mouse hibernates in burrows located at a depth of 2 m and comes out with the onset of a thaw. The main food is grain, seeds, young tree seedlings, but rodents do not refuse insects.

yellow-throated mouse

These rodents are listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region. The main characteristic feature of the animals is the unusual grayish-red color of mice, and around the neck they have a yellow stripe. The body size of an adult is in the range of 10-13 cm with the same tail length. The mass of the mouse is about 50 g. The wide area of settlement includes the forests of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Altai, and the northern provinces of China. The yellow mouse eats plant and animal food. Causes great damage to gardens, destroying young shoots of fruit trees

Gerbil

The mouse came to the territory of the Russian Federation from the USA. She was brought for laboratory research, but quickly settled as a pet. The mouse is characterized by an unpleasant odor, although it looks like a very sweet, friendly creature. There are more than 100 subspecies of the gerbil in the world, of which the pygmy and Mongolian mice breeds live with us. The tummy of the animal is almost white, and the brown-red back is decorated with a bright black strip along the entire body. The rodent has neat little ears, a pink nose, a blunt muzzle and large beady eyes. A mouse with a tassel on its tail can be found quite often among lovers of exotic animals.

Harvest mouse

Outwardly, the mouse is very similar to the gerbil, and in everyday life it can be called a vole. Under natural conditions, it lives in fields, meadows and harms agriculture. In flood-prone areas, it may nest in bushes. The dark, reddish-brown color of the upper body with black stripes contrasts sharply with the white belly and paws of the mouse. The body length varies from 7 to 12 cm, the tail of the animal is not very large.

Mice are active at night, since during the day they have to hide from numerous predatory animals, which include such a reptile as a snake. The diet of rodents consists mainly of plant foods, but they can feast on various insects. High fecundity allows maintaining the population of field mice. They feel great in Europe, Siberia, Primorye, Mongolia and other places. The mouse in the photo posted on the site will allow you to carefully examine the small animal.

House mouse

The most common type of rodent. The gray mouse, making its way into people's apartments, brings a lot of problems, spoils food products, gnaws on furniture, electrical wiring, walls, things and other interior items. The habitat of pests is all landscape and natural zones, with the exception of the Far North and Antarctica. The gray-humped mouse (another name for a mammal) digs holes on its own, but can also occupy abandoned dwellings.

The dimensions of the animal do not exceed 9.5 cm, taking into account the tail, its total length is 15 cm.
The weight of the mouse varies from 12 to 30 grams.
The main food products are seeds and juicy greens, however, once in a human house, the mouse becomes an omnivore.

One of the varieties of animals is the black mouse.

People are ambivalent about rodents. As a result of this, quite often at home you can find unusual mice that are real favorites of family members. Manual pets can be trained, perform simple tricks with small objects. A large detachment of rodents can not only cause damage, but also give joy.

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Family Mice and mice are twin Sylvanian Families.

The Sylvanian Families Mouse Family game set consists of four figures of funny mice: mom, dad, daughter and son. With such figurines, you can invent your own stories. Also in the photo - a set-packing with babies, twin mice.

In this article - a family of gray-beige mice (city mice - City Mouse Family), Sylvanians also have white mice. The ears of mice of this family are brown.

Mouse tails.

The mice have long, thin tails at the back (all the figures of the family, the kids, sold separately, do not have tails, as usual).

Sylvanian Families was founded in 1985 in Japan. The Sylvanian Families brand is very popular in Europe and Asia, and of course in Russia.

Sylvanian Families - a whole world of little people united by a common legend. The inhabitants of the country Sylvanian Families are families of animals: rabbits, squirrels, bears, foxes and many others. Each of them has a house in which there is everything necessary for a happy life.

In the city where the heroes live, there is a school, a hospital, a market, a bakery, a kindergarten and many other useful facilities.

The inhabitants of this country live in families, each of which has children.

Wonderful toys that you can collect for years, play with them, equip rooms and houses, sew clothes for them...

City Mouse Family - a family of city mice

City mice - City Mouse Family.

Reverse sides of packages.

The game set "Twin Mice" consists of two figures of little gray mice. Height of figurines: 4 cm.

Collection booklet.

Sylvanian Families collection booklet.

Sylvanian Families - A booklet that came with the family.

Second side.

A family of Sylvanian mice with babies, next to an 18 cm doll.

The figurine of the mother-mouse without clothes, the rest of the figurines of the family are arranged in the same way.

Mouse tail.

The adult Sylvanian Families figurines differ slightly - not only in color, but even in height. In the photo - a fox, a bear, a mouse.

Rodents Sylvanian Families: hamsters and mice.

Sylvanian Families rodents and other toys (soft and Lil Woodzeez): hamsters and mice, a beaver and a rat.

Representatives of the Mouse family (Rodent order).

They have subfamilies:

Deomine ( Deomyinae)

gerbils ( Gerbillinae)

Shaggy hamsters ( Lophiomyinae)

Mouse ( Murinae)

Mouse, or mice (lat. Muridae) - a family of mammals from the order of rodents (Rodentia). Mouse is the most extensive family of modern rodents and mammals in general. It has about 120 genera and about 400-500 species.

The family is not only the richest in genera and species, but also one of the most widespread, and, thanks to its tendency to follow man everywhere, it is now capable of even greater distribution, at least as far as some individual genera are concerned. The members of this family, without exception, are all small in stature, but this disadvantage is fully compensated by the number of individuals. Wishing to give a general picture of the appearance of these animals, we can say that the distinguishing features of the family are: a sharp stigma, large, black eyes, wide, deeply concave ears covered with sparse hair, a long, hairy or often bare-scaly tail and small, thin legs. delicate paws with five fingers, as well as a short soft fur coat. More or less in relation to these external changes of the basic type is the structure of the teeth. Usually the incisors are narrow and thicker than wide, with a wide sharp edge or a simple point, they are flat or convex on the front surface, white or colored, and sometimes with a longitudinal groove in the middle. The three molars in each row, decreasing from front to back, form the rest of the dentition, but they also decrease to two or increase to four in the upper jaw. From chewing, they grind off, and then the surface is smooth or folded. Cheek pouches are also found in some species, but in others they are completely absent; in some the stomach is arranged simply, in others it is strongly constricted, etc.

They inhabit all countries, and although they prefer the plains of temperate and warm latitudes to harsh mountainous areas or the cold north, they are also found where the vegetation boundary reaches, therefore, in mountainous areas they reach the line of eternal snow.

In Russia, there are 12-15 species of mice from 5 genera. Landscaped areas, fruitful fields, plantations are, of course, their favorite habitats, but marshy spaces, the banks of rivers and streams are also quite suitable for them, and even lean, dry plains barely overgrown with grass and shrubs provide them with another opportunity for existence. .

Some species avoid the proximity of human settlements, others, on the contrary, are imposed on man, like uninvited guests, and follow him wherever he establishes a new settlement, even across the sea. They inhabit houses and yards, barns and stables, gardens and fields, meadows and forests, everywhere causing harm and disaster with their teeth. Only a few species live alone or in pairs, most live in societies, and some species are found in myriad herds. Almost all have an extraordinary ability to reproduce, the number of cubs of one litter varies from 6 to 21, and most of the species give birth several times a year, not excluding even winter.
Mice are adapted in every way to torment and torment people, and the whole structure of the body seems to help them especially in this. Agile and agile in their movements, they are excellent at running, jumping, climbing, swimming, penetrating through the narrowest openings, and if they do not find access, then they punch their way with sharp teeth. They are quite smart and cautious, but at the same time bold, shameless, impudent, cunning and bold; all their senses are refined, but their sense of smell and hearing are far superior to the rest. Their food consists of all edible substances of the plant and animal kingdom. The secret to murine success is a good ability to adapt to changing environments. Mouse climb well, run well, know how to dig holes, there are semi-aquatic forms. Almost all mice are characterized by nocturnal or twilight activity. In nutrition, they are widely omnivorous. Finally, in mice there is a rapid change of generations, a high rate of reproduction and high mortality. Some species living in cold and temperate countries undergo hibernation and prepare supplies for the winter, others at times undertake migrations in innumerable crowds, which, however, usually end in their death.
Few breeds are suitable for keeping in captivity, because only the smallest part of the whole family is able to be easily tamed and is distinguished by a peaceful attitude towards each other.
In everyday life, there are two main groups: rats and mice. Rats are more clumsy and uglier looking, mice are more beautiful and comely.

In the former, the tail has about 200-260 scaly rings, in the latter from 120 to 180; those legs are thick and strong, those slender and thin; adult rats are much larger than their relatives.
black rat(Battus rattus) reaches 35 cm in length, and the body is up to 16 cm, and the tail is up to 19 cm, the body is dark, brownish-black above, slightly lighter below, grayish-black.

Dark gray at the base of the hair has a greenish metallic sheen. The legs are gray-brown, slightly lighter on the sides. On a relatively long tail, there are 260-270 scaly rings. Albinos are not uncommon.

She followed man to all latitudes of the globe and traveled with him by land and sea around the world.

Pasyuk(Battus norvegicus) much larger, body length 42 cm, including 18 cm tail length, coat color is different on the back and belly. The upper part of the body and tail are brownish-gray, the lower part of the body is grayish-white, both parts are demarcated. The undercoat is mostly pale grey. The tail has about 210 scaly rings. Sometimes there are individuals completely black, white with red eyes, roan and piebald. Pasyuk, also called a gray, red, Norwegian ship rat by them, occasionally reaches a length of 28 cm, with a tail length of 23 cm and a mass of over half a kilogram. According to some reports, sometimes as a result of mutations, rats of even more impressive sizes appear. According to one version, China is the homeland of Pasyuk, and it came to Europe from the east, forcing large rivers, such as the Volga, not earlier than the middle of the 16th century.At present, the gray rat is distributed throughout all settlements of Russia, including the Arctic, is absent only on some high arctic islands, a number of regions of Central and Eastern Siberia. In their way of life, in their manners and habits, as well as in their habitats, both types of rats are so similar that when describing one, you depict the other. If we accept that the pasyuki nest more often in the lower rooms of buildings and mainly in damp cellars and basements, drain pipes, sluices, cesspools and garbage pits and along river banks, while the black rat prefers the upper parts of houses, for example, grain barns, attics, then very little will remain that would not be common to both breeds. Both the one and the other species of these harmful animals live in all sorts of nooks and crannies of human dwellings and all places that give them the opportunity to get their own food. From the cellar to the attic, from the front rooms to the latrine, from the palace to the hut - they are found everywhere. Pasyuki can settle even in refrigerators, with a constant temperature below 10 degrees below zero. In general, there are entire populations of gray rats living all year round, or only in the summer outside buildings - in fields, gardens, gardens, parks, and wastelands. In the southern regions of Russia, they also inhabit natural landscapes, preferring near-water biotopes.

By the nature of the diet, rats are more likely carnivores than omnivores, plant foods included in the diet, as a rule, are high-calorie - seeds, fruits. There are known cases of attacks by rats on people who are in a helpless state. There are frequent cases of cannibalism and active predation in relation to smaller rodents.

Near humans, rat populations have found a permanent food base in the form of food waste and feces. According to some calculations by public utilities that carry out deratization (destruction of rats and mice), the number of rats in large cities exceeds the number of people by about 5 times. According to this logic, at least 50 million rats live in Moscow.Rats pose a serious threat as a constant reservoir of dangerous epidemic diseases of typhus, tularemia, plague, etc.

house mouse(Mm muscuhis) in appearance still has some resemblance to the black rat, but it is much more beautiful, its body parts are more proportional, and it is much smaller in stature. Its entire length is approximately 18 cm, of which 9 cm fall on the body. The tail has 180 scaly rings. It is one-colored: the yellowish, grayish-black color of the upper body and tail gradually fades into a lighter underparts, legs and fingers of a yellowish-gray color.

forest mouse(Sylvaemus sylvaticus) reaches 20 cm in length, its tail, consisting of approximately 150 scaly rings, is 11.5 cm long.

The wood mouse inhabits all of Europe east to Belarus and Ukraine, while in Russia it is replaced by a close species - the small wood mouse (S. uralensis). The wood mouse genus includes up to 12 very similar species, partially replacing each other in the temperate zone and subtropics of Eurasia. This mouse is two-tone, the upper part of the body and tail is light gray-brown, the lower part, legs and fingers are white, and their color differs sharply from the color of the back. Both of these species differ from the next one in their longer ears. The ears are half the length of the head and, pressed against the head, reach the eyes.

1. Field mouse (Apodemus agrarhts) 2. Forest mouse (Syivaemus sylvaticus)

Harvest mouse(Apodenms agrarius) reaches 18 cm in length, the tail has 8 cm. The field mouse is the most common of the 9 species of the field mouse genus. Previously, wood mice were also included in this genus. It is tricolored: the upper part of the body is reddish-brown with black stripes along the back, the lower part and legs are white and differ sharply from the upper part of the body. The tail has about 120 scaly rings. All these mice are unusually similar to each other in terms of their location, temper and lifestyle, although both have their own characteristics.

None of them is tied exclusively to the place from which it got its name: the wood mouse lives equally willingly both in barns or houses and in the field, and the field mouse limits its location to the field just as little as the brownie - to the dwelling of a person, so that on occasion one can see all three species together. In a cage, after a few days, she becomes tame; even old mice quickly become accustomed to humans, and those caught by young ones surpass in their good nature and carelessness most other rodents kept in captivity.

The house mouse breeds unusually fast. She gives birth 22-24 days after mating from 4 to 6, rarely 8 cubs, and during the year probably from 5 to 6 times, so that the immediate offspring of one year reaches at least 30 heads.

The smallest species in this family baby mouse(Micromys minutus). She is more mobile, more agile, more fun, in a word, a much more attractive animal than all the others. In length, it has 13 cm, of which almost half falls on the tail. The baby mouse is the only representative of the genus i. probably one of the smallest rodents in the world. Its mass averages only 6 g (3.5-13 g). It differs from mice of other species by a blunt muzzle, small ears and eyes, and a semi-grasping tail covered with hair. Unlike other mice, the baby is more active during the day. The color of the coat is variable, it is of two colors: the upper body and tail are yellow-brown-red, the belly and legs are completely white, however, there are also darker or lighter, redder or browner, grayish or yellowish ones; the belly is not particularly different from the upper part. Young animals have a slightly different physique than old ones, and a completely different body color, namely, a much more gray color on the back.
The baby mouse has long been a mystery to zoologists. Pallas discovered it in Siberia, described it exactly and drew it quite well, but after him almost every naturalist who came across it passed it off as a new species, and everyone considered himself right. She lives on all the plains where agriculture flourishes, but is not always found in the fields, but mainly in swamps, reeds and reeds. The baby lives throughout the temperate zone of Eurasia, prefers the meadows of the south of the forest zone, the forest-steppe, penetrates the mountains of southern Eurasia to northern India and Vietnam along the corresponding altitudinal zones, and is found in the Caucasus up to 2200 m.

It eats the same as all other mice: bread and seeds of all kinds of herbs and trees, as well as all kinds of small insects.

In its movements, the baby mouse differs from all other species of this family. Despite her insignificant size, she runs unusually fast and climbs with the greatest perfection and dexterity. She is also equally good at swimming and diving. So she can live everywhere. In winter, the animals move into burrows; in agricultural landscapes they prefer haystacks. stacks. sometimes barns. It is believed that each baby mouse gives birth two or three times a year, each time 5-9 pieces of cubs. Most of the animals live only 2-3 months, so only the young from the last brood survive until winter.

Subfamily Polevkovye (Family Hamsters)

Voles, or voles (lat. Arvicolinae, or lat. Microtinae) is a detachment of rodents of the hamster family. Includes voles, lemmings, mole voles, lemmings and muskrats. Voles include small mouse-like rodents with a body length of 7-36 cm. The tail is always shorter than the body - 5-2 cm. Voles weigh from 15 g to 1.8 kg. Outwardly, they resemble mice or rats, but in most cases they are well distinguished from them by a blunt muzzle, short ears and tail. The color of the top is usually monophonic - gray or brownish. Molar teeth in most species without roots, constantly growing, rarely with roots (in most extinct); on their chewing surface - alternating triangular loops. Teeth 16.

Mole voles and Kashmir voles have adapted to the underground way of life. Other voles (muskrat, water rats), which are distinguished by larger body sizes, lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle.

They inhabit the continents and many islands of the Northern Hemisphere. The southern border of the range passes through North Africa (Libya), the Middle East, northern India, southwestern China, Taiwan, the Japanese and Commander Islands; found in North America as far as Guatemala. In the mountains they rise to the upper limit of vegetation. The greatest species diversity and high numbers are reached in open landscapes of the temperate zone. They often nest in large colonies. Above-ground parts of plants predominate in food; some species store food. They are active all year round and do not hibernate during the winter. They are very prolific, bringing from 1 to 7 litters per year with an average size of 3-7 cubs.

In some species (muskrat, vole Microtus ochrogaster), males also take part in caring for offspring. They breed throughout the warm period of the year, some species also breed in winter, under snow. Young individuals become independent at 8-35 days and soon reach sexual maturity. Due to the high reproductive potential, the number of voles is subject to sharp fluctuations over the years. Life expectancy in nature is from several months to 1-2 years. Also, voles are forced to flee from white northern burrowing polecats, because they are their main food.
The subfamily consists of 7 tribes, 26 genera and 143 species. Many voles are serious pests of agricultural crops and natural carriers of pathogens of tularemia, leptospirosis and other diseases. Skins of large species (muskrats) are used as fur raw materials. Due to the high abundance and its cyclic fluctuations over the years, vole populations have a serious impact on the populations of predators, such as snowy owls and Canada lynxes.

gray voles(lat. Microtus) - a genus of rodents of the subfamily of voles. Small mouse-like rodents that differ from mice in their shorter ears and tail. Body length 11-20 cm. Tail length is usually less than 1/2 body length - 1.5-9.5 cm; it is slightly or moderately hairy. Only in voles living in the north, the tail is covered with thick hair. Molar teeth without roots, with constant growth. The coat is usually quite high, dense and soft; in species living in the north or in the highlands, a sharp seasonal dimorphism was noted in the density and height of the hairline. The coloration of the upper side is usually dark, brownish-gray, sometimes blackish, or with a reddish tint; abdominal - lighter, from grayish to pale brown. It is almost impossible to distinguish many types of voles by external signs.

Gray voles are distributed over the vast territory of Eurasia and North America from the tundra to the subtropics and the northern part of the tropical zone. They inhabit a wide variety of landscapes. In the mountains they rise to a height of 4500 m above sea level. The most favorable for them are open landscapes of the temperate climate zone. There are day and night forms. They usually nest in colonies, arranging complex nesting burrows. In winter, they often accumulate in stacks, stacks, etc. places. They feed mainly on the green parts of plants, roots, and other plant foods; some species store a significant amount of roots.

They breed mainly in the warm period of the year, but under favorable conditions in winter.

During the year there are usually 3-4, sometimes up to 7 litters. The average number of cubs in a litter is 5-6. Populations vary greatly from year to year. Most gray voles are dangerous pests of grain and fruit crops, as well as pasture plants;

are a natural reservoir of pathogens of a number of infectious diseases (tularemia, leptospirosis).

There are 62 species in the genus of gray voles, of which 12 are in the fauna of Russia. The most common are the common vole (Microtus arvalis) and the house vole (Microtus oeconomus):

common vole(lat. Microtus arvalis) - a species of rodents of the genus gray voles. Small animal; body length is variable, 9-14 cm. Weight usually does not exceed 45 g. The tail is 30-40% of the body length - up to 49 mm. The color of the fur on the back can vary from light brown to darkish gray-brown, sometimes with an admixture of brown-rusty tones. The abdomen is usually lighter: dirty gray, sometimes with a yellowish-buffy coating. The tail is either single or slightly bicolor. The most lightly colored voles from central Russia. There are 46 chromosomes in the karyotype.

Distributed in biocenoses and agrocenoses of forest, forest-steppe and steppe zones of continental Europe from the Atlantic coast in the west to the Mongolian Altai in the east. In the north, the border of the range runs along the coast of the Baltic Sea, southern Finland, southern Karelia, the Middle Urals and Western Siberia; in the south - along the Balkans, the Black Sea coast, the Crimea and the north of Asia Minor. It is also found in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, in Northern Kazakhstan, in the southeast of Central Asia, on the territory of Mongolia. Found in the Korean Islands. In its vast range, the vole gravitates mainly to field and meadow cenoses, as well as to agricultural lands, vegetable gardens, orchards, and parks. It avoids solid forests, although it is found in clearings, clearings and edges, in light forests, in riverine thickets of shrubs, and forest belts. It prefers places with well-developed grass cover. In the southern part of its range, it gravitates towards more humid biotopes: floodplain meadows, gullies, river valleys, although it also occurs in dry steppe areas, on fixed sands outside deserts. In the mountains it rises to subalpine and alpine meadows at an altitude of 1800-3000 m above sea level. Avoids areas subject to intense anthropogenic pressure and transformation.

In warm weather, it is active mainly at dusk and at night; in winter, activity is round-the-clock, but intermittent.

Lives in family settlements, as a rule, consisting of 1-5 related females and their offspring of 3-4 generations. The sites of adult males occupy 1200-1500 m² and cover the sites of several females. In their settlements, voles dig a complex system of holes and tread a network of paths, which turn into snowy passages in winter. The animals rarely leave the paths, which allow them to move faster and easier to navigate.

The depth of the holes is small, only 20-30 cm. The animals protect their territory from alien individuals of their own and other types of voles (up to killing). During periods of high abundance, colonies of several colonies often form in grain fields and other feeding places.

The vole is a typically herbivorous rodent whose diet includes a wide range of foods. Characterized by a seasonal change in diet. In the warm season, it prefers the green parts of cereals, Asteraceae and legumes; occasionally eats mollusks, insects and their larvae. In winter, it gnaws at the bark of shrubs and trees, including berries and fruits; eats seeds and underground parts of plants. Makes food stocks reaching 3 kg.

The common vole breeds throughout the warm season - from March-April to September-November. In winter, there is usually a pause, but in closed places (haystacks, stacks, outbuildings), if there is sufficient food, it can continue to breed. In one reproductive season, a female can bring 2-4 broods, a maximum in the middle lane - 7, in the south of the range - up to 10. Pregnancy lasts 16-24 days. The litter has an average of 5 cubs, although their number can reach 15; cubs weigh 1-3.1 g. Young voles become independent on the 20th day of life. They begin to breed at 2 months of age. Sometimes young females become pregnant already on the 13th day of life and bring the first brood at 33 days.

The average life expectancy is only 4.5 months; by October, most of the voles die, the young of the last litters hibernate and start breeding in the spring. Voles are one of the main food sources for a variety of predators - owls, kestrels, weasels, stoats, ferrets, foxes and wild boars.

The common vole is a widespread and numerous species that easily adapts to human economic activities and the transformation of natural landscapes. The number, like many fertile animals, varies greatly by season and year. Characterized by outbreaks of numbers, followed by prolonged depressions. In general, fluctuations look like a 3- or 5-year cycle.

In the years of the highest abundance, the density of populations can reach 2000 individuals per ha, in the years of depressions falling to 100 individuals per ha.

It is one of the most serious pests of agriculture, horticulture and horticulture, especially during the years of mass reproduction. It harms grain and other crops on the vine and in stacks, gnaws the bark of fruit trees and shrubs.

It is the main natural carrier of plague pathogens in Transcaucasia, as well as pathogens of tularemia, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis and other diseases dangerous to humans.

Housekeeper vole(lat. Microtus oeconomus) - a species of rodents of the genus gray voles (Microtus). Body length 10-16 cm, weight up to 50-70 grams. The tail is about half the length of the entire body. The color of the back is rusty or dark brown, with an admixture of yellow. The coloration of the sides is lighter, often with a reddish tinge. The belly and paws are grey. The coat color is darker in summer than in winter. Adults are also lighter in color than juveniles. The tail is two-colored - its upper side is darker than the lower one. Chewing surface of the first lower molar with 6 closed enamel loops, on its outer side - with 3 protruding corners. The chewing surface of the middle upper molar has 4-5 enamel loops. The first molar on the outer side with 4 ledges.

Distributed in swampy areas throughout the entire territory from forest-tundra to forest-steppes, except for the south of the European part of Russia, the Caucasus and part of the Amur basin. It also lives in North America in Alaska. Settles in wet meadows, glades, grass swamps, also often found in light forests near water bodies, in floodplains of rivers. Rarely found in forests.

They are active around the clock, but most often the peak of activity occurs at night. They live in family groups of 2-3 broods of one pair of animals that inhabit closely spaced burrows. The individual habitat area of the female is 300-1000 square meters, the male - 900-1500. Predominantly, the areas of females are isolated from each other, males are combined or enter the areas of females.

Burrows are connected to feeding places by a network of paths, near which there are refuge minks. During feeding, the animals do not go further than 20 meters from the nearest hole. In winter, they make moves under the snow. Herbivorous species. It feeds mainly on green juicy and tender parts of various herbs, berries, seeds and insects.

Creates winter reserves from nodules and rhizomes, seeds of various meadow, marsh plants. There are 2-3 broods per year, which usually appear in the warm season. At a time, the female gives birth to 5-6 cubs, much less often their number varies from 1 to 15. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of 2 months.

steppe pied(lat. Lagurus lagurus) is the only species of the genus Lagurus of the hamster family. A small animal with a short tail. Body length 8-12 cm, tail 7-19 mm. Weighs 25-35 g. Eyes and ears are small.

The coloration of the upper body is rather uniform: from dark or brownish-gray to light, grayish-yellow; gradually changes into a slightly lighter coloration of the sides and abdomen. A dark stripe runs along the spine from nose to tail. Winter fur is only slightly longer and thicker than summer fur. There is a lightening and yellowing of the color from west to east and from north to south. 4 subspecies are known, all are represented in Russia. The steppe lemming is common in the southern forest-steppes, steppes and northern semi-deserts of Eurasia - from the Dnieper region (Kremenchug region) to the Tien Shan, Western Mongolia, China (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region). On the territory of Russia, it is found in the south of the European part of Russia (Voronezh, Tambov regions), in the Ciscaucasia, the Middle and Lower Volga regions, in the Middle and Southern Urals, in Western Siberia, in the Altai steppe, in Tuva, in the steppes along the river. Abakan (Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia).

Lives in the steppes; on pastures and fallows it penetrates into the forest-steppe, and along the banks of lakes and rivers - into the semi-desert. Forb steppes and shrubs avoids; numerous in grass-forb, feather-grass-fescue and sagebrush steppes. Willingly settles on arable land, fallow lands, pastures, along roadsides and railway embankments. In the rocky alpine steppe, it is known up to an altitude of 2800 m above sea level. m. (central and eastern Tien Shan). In dry years, it often goes to low relief areas, to river valleys and lake basins.

It is active around the clock, but leads a semi-underground lifestyle and comes to the surface only for a short time, usually at dusk or at night. The exceptions are the years of increased numbers, when the pied-breeds make mass migrations.

Digs rather complex burrows 30-90 cm deep; also uses the holes of other rodents - ground squirrels, gerbils, mole voles, deep cracks in the soil. The main burrow is connected to several temporary path networks. In winter, tunnels under the snow. Lives in small colonies; a couple of animals settle in the nesting hole in spring.

Less than other types of voles need water and wet food. Prefers green parts of narrow-leaved grasses, wormwood; in dry years it also eats tubers and bulbs, seeds, shrub bark, and sometimes animal food (locusts). Winter stocks are not typical. During the years of mass reproduction, it strongly eats away steppe vegetation. In favorable years, it brings up to 6 litters, 5-6 cubs (maximum 10-14) in each. The newborn pied weighs about 1 g. The steppe pied breeds from March-April to October; in warm and forage winters in the east of the range, cases of under-snow breeding are known.

Steppe pieds are the basis of the diet of the fox and corsac (more than 90% of the bones in excrement). The fox eats up to 100 pieds per month. Small mustelids (polecats, ermine, weasel) and birds of prey (harriers, long-legged buzzard, gulls, owls) also feed on pieds. On occasion, they are also hunted by large predators - a badger, a wolverine, even a brown bear.

In captivity, steppe pieds live for a maximum of 20 months, although some specimens lived up to 2-2.5 years. In nature, life expectancy is calculated in months. The number of steppe lemmings fluctuates over the years more sharply than in other small voles of the fauna of Russia - years of mass reproduction are replaced by depressions. In some places, the steppe lemming is one of the main pests of field crops and animal husbandry, as it spoils pastures, hayfields and grain crops, eating away the most valuable species of fodder plants.

Muskrat, or musky rat(lat. Ondatra zibethicus) - a mammal of the subfamily of voles of the order of rodents; the only species of the muskrat genus. This semi-aquatic rodent native to North America is acclimatized in Eurasia, including Russia. Outwardly, the muskrat resembles a rat (it is often called a musky rat), although it is noticeably larger than an ordinary pasyuk (gray rat) - the weight of adults can reach 1.8 kg, although, as a rule, they weigh 1-1.5 kg. Body length - 23-36 cm, tail length is almost equal to body length - 18-28 cm. Sexual dimorphism is not expressed. The body of the muskrat is valky, the neck is short, the head is small and dull-faced. Its appearance indicates adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle. The auricles barely protrude from the fur; the eyes are small and set high. Lips, like those of beavers, are overgrown with incisors, isolating them from the oral cavity, thanks to which the muskrat can gnaw off plants under water without choking. The tail is flattened laterally, covered with small scales and sparse hairs; a crest of elongated coarse hair runs along its underside. On the hind legs there are swimming membranes, and along the edges of the fingers there is a border of short hair. Muskrat fur consists of coarse guard hairs and a soft undercoat. The coloration of the back and limbs is dark brown to black. The belly is lighter, sometimes grayish-blue. In summer, the color brightens. The fur is very thick, dense and lush, which makes it waterproof. The muskrat constantly monitors its fur: it lubricates with fatty secretions and combs it. Another adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle is an increased content of hemoglobin in the blood, and myoglobin in the muscles, which creates additional oxygen reserves when diving underwater.

Another special adaptation is heterothermy, the ability to regulate blood flow to the limbs and tail; the limbs of the muskrat are usually colder than the body.

In Russia, the muskrat range extends from the borders of Finland through the entire forest zone of the European part of Russia and a significant part of the forest-steppe and taiga zones of Siberia to the Far East and Kamchatka. It is also found in Israel on the banks of fresh rivers.

The muskrat leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, settles along the banks of rivers, lakes, canals, and especially willingly - freshwater swamps. She prefers shallow (1-2 m deep), non-freezing reservoirs with banks covered with dense grassy vegetation. Muskrats are active around the clock, but most often after sunset and early in the morning. They feed on coastal and aquatic plants - reeds, cattails, reeds, sedges, horsetails, arrowheads, pondweeds. In spring, the muskrat feeds on young stems and leaves, in summer and autumn it eats basal parts and rhizomes, in winter only rhizomes. It also eats agricultural crops. Less often, when there is little plant food, it eats mollusks, frogs and fish fry.

For housing, the muskrat builds burrows and huts. Burrow digs in the high bank. The length of the burrows is different, in steep banks - 2-3 m, in gentle ones - up to 10 m. The burrow opening is located under water and is not visible from the outside, and the nesting chamber is above the water level. It happens that the nesting chambers are located on two floors and are connected by passages - this is provided in case of a change in the water level in the reservoir. Even in the most severe frosts, the temperature in the nesting chambers of muskrats did not fall below 0 °C. On low swampy shores, the muskrat constructs from the stems of aquatic plants (reed, sedge, cattail), fastened with silt, surface dwellings - huts up to 1-1.5 m high. The entrance to them is also located under water. It also builds floating and open nests - feeding grounds. In addition to residential huts, muskrats also build storerooms, where they store food for the winter.

Muskrats live in family groups with their own feeding grounds. The inguinal (perineal) glands of males secrete a musky secret with which they mark their territory. Due to their abundance, muskrats play an important role in the diet of many predators, including ilka, raccoon, otter, raccoon dog, barn owl, harriers, alligators, pikes. Especially great damage is done to them by minks, which live in the same biotopes as muskrats and are able to penetrate into their holes through underwater passages. On land, foxes, coyotes and stray dogs prey on muskrats. Even a crow and a magpie attack the young. Occasionally, muskrat burrows and huts are destroyed by a wolf, bear, and wild boar. Usually the muskrat escapes from enemies under water or in a hole, but in a hopeless situation it can desperately defend itself using teeth and claws. Slow on the ground, the muskrat swims well and dives well. Without air, it can do up to 12-17 minutes. Vision and sense of smell are poorly developed, basically, the animal relies on hearing. Litters average 7-8 cubs. In the northern regions, there are 2 broods per year and reproduction is limited to warm months - from March to August; in the southern ones, reproduction is almost uninterrupted, and the female can feed 4-5 broods per year. The cubs are blind at birth and weigh about 22 g. On the 10th day they already know how to swim, and on the 21st they begin to eat plant foods. By the 30th day, young muskrats become independent, but remain with their parents for the winter. The maximum life expectancy is 3 years, in captivity - up to 10 years. Muskrat is one of the most important fur trade species, it gives a valuable durable skin. In a number of places, the muskrat's burrowing activity harms the irrigation system, dams and dams. It damages agriculture, especially rice growing; uncontrollably bred, destroys aquatic and coastal vegetation. It is a natural carrier of at least 10 natural focal diseases, including tularemia and paratyphoid. The muskrat is a numerous and widespread species, since it is prolific and easily adapts to environmental changes - the construction of irrigation canals, etc. However, its population is subject to natural cyclical fluctuations - every 6-10 years it drops sharply for reasons not yet studied.

forest voles(lat. Myodes, or lat. Clethrionomys) is a genus of rodents of the subfamily of voles. Small mouse-like rodents: body length 7-16 cm, tail 2.5-6 cm. The auricles are barely visible. The eyes are small. The coloration on the dorsal side of the body is rusty or reddish-red, which makes it easy to distinguish forest voles from gray voles. The belly is gray or white. In winter, the hairline becomes redder and thicker.

Unlike most voles, forest voles have roots. There are 56 chromosomes in the diploid set of all species. They inhabit the forest, forest-steppe and partly steppe zones of Eurasia and North America. Distributed very widely. In North America, they are found from the north of the continent (Alaska, British Columbia, Labrador) to the states of Colorado and North Carolina. In Eurasia, they are found from the Pyrenees in the west to the ranges of the Khingan system in the east; in the north they reach the northern border of the forests;

in the south, the border runs along the north of the Iberian Peninsula, the Apennine Peninsula, Western Asia, Western Transcaucasia, the Mongolian People's Republic, Eastern China, the Korean Peninsula and Japan. They inhabit mainly deciduous and coniferous forests. They also live in swampy areas of the forest-tundra, in the floodplain forests of the steppe zone. They rise in the mountains up to 3000 m above sea level. Active around the clock and all year round. They dig short and shallow burrows in the thickness of moss or forest floor. They also hide in the voids at the roots of trees, under hummocks. They are quite good at climbing bushes and trees. They feed mainly on vegetative parts of herbaceous plants, to a lesser extent on seeds, bark, shoots and buds. They also eat various invertebrates, lichens and mosses. Sometimes they make small stocks. The breeding season in some years begins even with snow cover and continues until late autumn. There are 3-4 litters per year, each of which has from 2 to 11 cubs. In places, forest voles harm forest plantations, gardens, and shelterbelts. They carry pathogens of tick-borne typhoid fevers and leptospirosis. They serve as an important food object for fur-bearing animals, especially mustelids.

There are 13 species in the genus:

Myodes andersoni

California bank vole (Myodes californicus)

Tien Shan vole (Myodes centralis)

Gapper vole (Myodes gapperi)

Bank vole (Myodes glareolus)

Myodes imaizumii

Myodes regulus

Red-backed vole (Myodes rufocanus)

red-backed vole (Myodes rutilus)

Myodes shanseius

Myodes smithii

Bibliography

1. Life of animals. - M.: State publishing house

geographical literature. A. Brem. 1958.

2. Mouse - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia

3. Russian names according to the book Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia. "Mammals" Book. 2 = The New Encyclopedia of Mammals / ed. D. Macdonald. - M.: "Omega", 2007. - S. 444-445. - 3000 copies.

4. www.wikipedia.org

5. www.dic.academic.ru

6. www.zoomet.ru

The mouse family or mice are small animals of the mammal class belonging to the order of rodents, which has not been finally classified. The huge family includes 4 subfamilies, which includes 147 genera and 701 species. Animals are found everywhere, especially this applies to the species of mice called. The attitude of people towards these representatives of the fauna is ambiguous. Someone is fighting them, trying to rid their house of uninvited "guests", while others specially breed and tame small rodents.