The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a small mammal of the rodent family Muridae, characteristically having a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus Mus. Although a wild animal, the house mouse has benefited significantly from associating with human habitation to the point that truly wild populations are significantly less common than the synanthropic populations near human activity.

House mouse

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classificationEdit this classification

Domain:

Eukaryota

Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Mammalia

Order:

Rodentia

Family:

Muridae

Genus:

Mus

Subgenus:

Mus

Species:

M. musculus

Binomial name

Mus musculus

Linnaeus, 1758

Subspecies

Mus musculus bactrianus[2]

Mus musculus castaneus

Mus musculus domesticus

Mus musculus gentilulus

Mus musculus musculus

House mouse range (note: distribution is incomplete)

Synonyms

Mus abbotti

The house mouse has been domesticated as the pet or fancy mouse, and as the laboratory mouse, which is one of the most important model organisms in biology and medicine. The complete mouse reference genome was sequenced in 2002.[3][4]