Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wondering, what is the largest litter on record for mice? Of living ones ;p

>>Just wondering, what is the largest litter on record for mice? Of living ones ;p

I have had litters of 2 dozen before. I usually don't let them keep them all unless there is a couple moms in there that just weaned hoppers and can nurse them too. But have had it happen.
-----
Sonya

Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software.

wow. I had a young lady that threw litters of 14. Of course I was too dumb to save a few daughters. I thought 14 was alot. 2 dozen must be really painful

Denver Tom

I read a really large liter is 25 but wondering if there have been any captive mice with more than that

>>I read a really large liter is 25 but wondering if there have been any captive mice with more than that

Well, that couple dozen were tiny pinks so I really wonder how you could squeeze many more in there! I did love them for my hatchling Childrens and Candoia though.
-----
Sonya

Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software.

How are those childrens boas anyways? How big do they get?

Trying to find a good snake

in older guiness books of world records,I have a 1998 edition, it is listed as 36 in one litter of which 34 survived. this record was set way back in 1982 by M. Ogilvie,of Blackpool England. I'm sure this record has been beaten by now. but they have put the big hush on this subject. the cd-1 mice that so many of you talk about are listed as having an average litter size of 12. Now this is by no means the largest # they can have in one litter. I have had cd-1's lay litters as large as 27.also swiss websters are mention a lot on this forum. I have not worked with these but they are listed as having average litter sizez of 10 - 12 depending upon the supplier. one person on this forum said his swiss websters have litters as large as 29. but i'm sure they don't do this consistently over their reproductive life span,hence the seemingly low average liitter size #.I am working with out bred Quackenbush swiss which I imported from australia in 2001.they are listed as having an averge litter size of 15 http://www.arcwa.wa.gov.au/information/services/outbred_mice.stm There are strain here in hte U.S that have average litter sizes as large as 18. I am trying to get the permits/license needed o purchase mice from universities. I have found a strain that is listed as having an averge litter size of 24 i am trying to get the permits so I can get my hand on this strain. For those of you who like the ease of maintaing an inbred line( no keeping track of families) there is an inbred strain here in the U.S. at the University of wisconsin that averges 18. That pretty amazing!!! But I was told that they are not making them available just yet. there is supposed to be an article comimg out later this year descibing this line and its off shoots.I bet you won't find any of this info on the JAX site. Cheers Gordon

Sorry that date is 1982 for the record litter size.

Why would you need a permit? Are they feral or something? lol

Nice info though

No. they are pathogen free lab mice. no mycoplama or other common illnesses found in virtually all pet and feeder mice. but you can't just order mice from the major lab mouse suppliers such as jax or charles rivers. there are federal regulations prohibiting this. yes you can order from smaller suppliers such as taconic harlan etc. if you keep your mouth shut,i.e. don't tell them what you are doing with them. but the strains of intrest are held at universities or jax. universities are reqired to have an oversite commitee to moiter the use and life/destination of each mouse. this was all brought about by the animal rights activist. who are agaist animal testing.also they regulate the industry to ensure that a strain maintained at one facility is the same as that housed at another ensuring that seperate researchers can come to the sane conclusion whithout woring about strain variation. it doesn't seem right since our taxes pay for these mice at the stae universities. and also lab mice were originally acqired from hobbiest in the first place.I'm sure glad the activist aren't worried about the emotional stress that reptiles go through in captive enviroments.