Polski
The African Harvest Mouse (Mus minutoides) is among the smallest mammals, which makes them incredibly cute! They're only 3 to 6 cm long. They're also great for looking around, as they're too small and fast to pick up and cuddle. Harvest mice are active at dusk and at night.
Body weight: 4 to 10 g
Life expectancy : 2 years
Mice are generally active and curious animals. They are social creatures that should be kept together. Thanks to their long tails, they are also good climbers and can maintain their balance well. This also helps them walk easily over your hand, and because they have depth perception, they will also stay on your hand.
The African Harvest Mouse, as its name suggests, originates from Africa, where it lives on the edge of the Sahara. In captivity, it lives an average of two years.
Taming and familiarizing the African Harvest Mouse
Always do your research before deciding to get African Harvest Mice. They are crepuscular and nocturnal animals, so you won't often see them during the day. This makes them less suitable as pets for children. Furthermore, African Harvest Mice are very small and difficult to handle, making them more of a sight-seeing animal. In the evenings, you'll be amazed!
Tip! Mice love millet sprays!
In order to be able to observe the animals well during the night hours, a moonlight lamp with blue light can be used.
Housing the African Harvest Mouse
African pygmy mice are social animals that should be kept together. In the wild, they live in colonies, often with one dominant male. A group of females or males is best formed at a young age.
A wire cage isn't suitable for African harvest mice. This is due to their small size. There's no wire cage they can't squeeze through. A terrarium is therefore the best housing for an African harvest mouse.
African pygmy mice need a spacious enclosure of at least 75 x 40 x 40 cm ( LICG ) for two animals. For each additional animal, 20% additional floor space should be added. A good enclosure allows the animals to express their natural behavior. In the wild, mice are very active, and they want to maintain this activity in captivity; they don't want to be bored. The mouse needs a spacious enclosure with plenty of play and climbing opportunities. Thanks to their long tails, mice can maintain their balance very well, making them excellent climbers.
Hamsterscaping is also great fun for Coloured Mice!
In our home, a good mouse habitat translates to a spacious enclosure with plenty of challenges and plenty of hiding places. A terrarium is the best choice for this, thanks to its enclosed nature. However, it's important that a terrarium allows for good ventilation, so preferably with two vents (top and bottom). This is especially important in summer when temperatures rise above 25°C.
A running wheel is a challenge for these small creatures. Currently, there are few running wheels light enough for the African Harvest Mouse.
African Harvest Mouse cannot tolerate low temperatures
African pygmy mice don't tolerate low temperatures well. Because of their small size, their bodies require a lot of energy to stay warm. If the temperature drops too low, it can be fatal for the animals. Therefore, the temperature should preferably not drop below 18°C.
To provide the mice with extra warmth, you can use a heat lamp, for example.
House for an African Harvest Mouse
African dwarf mice are in luck! Many hamster houses are also a good size for them. African dwarf mice are also prey animals and don't like to roam freely through their enclosure. However, if they occasionally find a hiding place they can bolt into, they feel much safer. Mice like to sleep together, so at least one house in the enclosure should be large enough to accommodate the entire group. In addition, one extra sleeping house or hiding spot per mouse is ideal. The animals enjoy sleeping together, but they also need a place to retreat to.
Grass houses are also very natural for mice and the animals really like it because they imitate a natural hiding place.
Mouse urine, like rat urine, has a stronger odor. These animals mark their territory by leaving a drop of urine everywhere. This means that parts of the mouse enclosure can quickly become odorous. We therefore recommend using a " Urine Spray" for areas where urine can soak in.
For wooden accessories, it can be helpful to varnish them with clear varnish. However, varnish from hardware stores is not permitted due to toxic substances. A special varnish for animals is best.
Ground cover for the African Harvest Mouse
It's important that the substrate is diggable for mice , meaning they can create tunnels and burrows in it, which they prefer to leave intact. This can be achieved by choosing substrate that is already diggable or by mixing substrates to make them diggable. Examples of diggable substrates include humus and burrowing sand , as well as cotton and cotton . A good mix is a mix of cotton and hemp fiber , cotton and wood fiber, or a mix of wood fiber , hemp fiber, and hay. Substrates like Back 2 Nature are not suitable because the animals cannot dig in them. An ideal depth of the substrate for digging is around 20 cm.
Mice, like rats, have sensitive respiratory tracts, so the substrate should not be dusty.
African Dwarf Mice are nest builders
Mice are excellent nest builders. They also like to line their nests with soft nesting material . Nest building is therefore a natural behavior for mice. Therefore, always provide mice with 15-25 grams of nesting material. Mice's nesting material should be soft, absorbent, and have brittle fibers to prevent them from getting tangled. Materials like cotton, hemp, toilet paper, and hay are ideal.
African Dwarf Mouse Nutrition
There is no specific diet for African pygmy mice. They are naturally granivorous (seed eaters). Their diet consists mainly of seeds and a small amount of plant matter such as herbs , as well as animal protein. In the wild, mice catch small insects, so it's good if their diet also contains animal protein.
Gnawing material to wear down the teeth
African pygmy mice have a natural urge to gnaw. This is because they are rodents and have continuously growing incisors. Therefore, mice need something to gnaw on to wear down their teeth. If mice don't have enough opportunities to wear down their teeth, they can become overlong or crooked, with all the consequences that entails.
Rodents use gnawing wood to wear down their teeth. Because rodents' teeth grow continuously, they need to be gnawed regularly to prevent them from growing too long and crooked.
Most mice actively gnaw on gnawing wood. However, it's a matter of taste and, on the other hand, a matter of need. If a mouse doesn't have a need to gnaw because its teeth stay long thanks to food, hay, or other gnawing materials, it will gnaw on gnawing wood less. It's a good idea to always offer natural gnawing wood so the animals can gnaw whenever they feel the need.
Reproduction of the African Harvest Mouse
African dwarf mice are social animals, and the entire group contributes to raising the young. The parents care for the young until they become independent around the 18th day.
The female is in heat and ready to mate every 4-9 days. This lasts about 12-24 hours. If a successful mating occurs on these days, the young are born after about 24 days.
The difference between males and females can be seen in the distance between the genital opening and the anus. In males, this distance is greater than in females.
Sexually mature : females after 4 - 5 weeks
Breeding ready : females 12 weeks
Number of litters : 3-4 per year
Litter size : 2 - 14
Gestation period : 21 days
Birth weight : 1.5 - 2 g, nestlings
Weaning time : from week 3
For extensive information on rodent care, see LICG
