Feral Animals of the Northern Territory
House Mouse
Family: Muridae
Scientific names: Mus musculus
Other common names: Feral mouse
Background
The house mouse is native to Asia, but has spread readily throughout the world, where they always live in close proximity to humans. It is likely that house mice initially arrived in Australia on the First Fleet. The house mouse is widespread in the Northern Territory.
Feeding
The house mouse preferentially feeds on cereal grains. However, this species will consume many different kinds of foods.
Breeding
The house mouse is a very prolific breeder, with females able to mate within 1-3 days of giving birth. Generally, house mice produce between 5-10 litters per year, each litter containing between 3-15 young. Breeding can occur throughout the year, but will depend on climatic conditions.
Impacts
Despite their significant distributions throughout Australia, house mice are not currently considered to be a great threat to biodiversity. Nevertheless, there have been some concerns about the impacts of house mice on native vegetation because of seed predation. In some locations, house mice also prey on young birds.
In urban areas, house mice are considered to be a nuisance because they spoil food and food packaging, carry and spread diseases, damage buildings, and can threaten agricultural productivity because they feed heavily on grain, fruits and vegetables. Under plague conditions, house mice have been responsible for severe agricultural losses in many locations.
What You Can Do
If you have a problem with house mice in and around your house, you might consider the following options:
- Remove access to all food sources.
- Dispose of garbage away from your house.
- Remove any animal or pet foods that might be openly available.
- Mouse-proof any food storage areas or containers.
