Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My spouse caught a wild mouse at work and brought it home because the housekeeping crew for the hospital was going to kill it! Anyways, now it is sitting in a cage with bedding, hide areas, food, water blah blah. My biggest questions are, can anyone identify what kind of mouse it is? I am thinking deer mouse. In that case arent they dangerous, healthwise to humans? What about my other animals? The cage is in the reptile room with 9 bearded dragons. Of course they arent housed together but they are in the same room. Plus my cats and dogs go in and out of the room as well.

I am kind of struggling on what to do. There is just way too much snow outside to release him/her. Not to mention temps have been getting REALLY low. (I live in upstate NY). Anyone have any ideas? No I am not going to euthanize it! So please dont bother suggesting that.

Thanks, Lindsay

It looks like a deer mouse to me... see how the tail is bicolored, much lighter underneath? A house mouse would have less of a difference in coloration of the tail.

There is a possibility that wild mice can carry Hantavirus. Personally I think the risk is minimal... I've had wild mice in my house every winter for years (most often as uninvited guests, not rehab animals), if the mice around here had Hanta, I'd be long dead (by "around here" I mean Long Island, NY). Most rehabbers I work with are more concerned, though. I've never heard of reptiles getting sick from Hanta, I don't know if it's even a possibility.

You could keep the mouse until the weather gets a bit warmer, but keep in mind, if he hadn't been caught, he'd very likely be out in the frezing cold anyway. If you decide to keep him around for a while, it would be best to minimize his exposure to people and your other pets so he will not be stressed and frightened. Make sure the lid of the container he's kept in is very secure, or he may escape into your house.

I hope this helps...

~Michelle

I agree with what Michelle posted...
If he were not "saved", he would either still be living happily inside, or outside dealing with the weather. I would be inclined to wait for a warmer day (a bit above freezing) and release him into a brushy/semi-wooded area, where there he is likely to find some of his own kind. Meanwhile, minimize exposure to humans/other pets, you may want to add some soil to the aspen shavings...so that he can burrow a bit. I would stick with a seed mixture for diet, as it is likely what he would find this time of year outside (thinking bird feeders!) As for species, I am not certain...PHWyvern does stop here now and then, perhaps if she sees him, she can determine what he is...she is VERY good at rodents! Offer him hiding spots, even toilet paper tubes (unscented please) would help him to hide. I suspect he can jump pretty high, most wild mice regardless of type are good at that, so a secure lid, or a brick to hold it down would help keep him confined. Good luck with him, nice that your husband saved him!
-----
PHJoker
Exotic Hobbyist Message Board Host
Exotic Hobbyist
HJoker@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">PHJoker@pethobbyist.com

It is either a white-footed mouse or a deer mouse. When found in areas where both species ranges overlap, it's nearly impossible to say which it is - both look alike and both have woodland and field forms. I believe it takes someone who studies them scientifically and who is capable of looking at their molars to actually figure out which species it really is.

You can keep it through the winter if you want and release it once the weather has improved. They can be quite charming to watch. They are very capable of high jumping and fast acrobatics so it's usually good if you can use a high walled aquarium... standard 10/20 gallons are short enough they'll get out really fast once a lid is lifted off and they are disturbed out of their nest where they are hiding.... can make cleaning a bit difficult. I often keep some from time to time, but if it's temporary you don't have to worry about "thorough" cleanings that involve washing and scubbing tanks down. Usually just quickly scoop up old bedding from the cage floor and dump new bedding down quick without hopefully distrubing the mice out from the hide/nestbox. The mice won't appreciate you tearing their actual nest apart to replace the items (tissues, paper towels, yarn, etc.) with fresh clean stuff. I used to have some that would spend hours doing backflips off a box in the cage, cling upside down on the cage lid, then jump back down to the box.

Cats can be a problem especially if the lid is not really tightly secured and there is no possible chance the tank can be knocked off a shelf/ledge.
-----
____

Wyvern

I still have the little guy/girl. We think it is a he, but of course that is just a guess! I plan on releasing him when the weather gets warmer. But that wont be for a few months. He is adapting just fine to captivity. Which is weird, isnt it? Or doesnt it seem to bother them? We try not to bother him much because we dont want him to get used to humans, pets etc. Once in awhile we will sit and watch him though. Too cute.