Lion Mice?

[thenext420]

I've been succesfully breeding mice for almost 2 years now but I have a litter that has totally perplexed me-about 5 weeks ago a previously successfully bred female have only four babies. I thought nothing of it until I noticed they weren't growing like they shoud be. Now here it is 38 days later and the little guys are still between fuzzy and hopper size. That's not the REALLY odd thing though-they are all hairless from the neck down, but their heads are covered with fuller and thicker than normal hair! My setup never changes in any way, inbreeding is not an issue, and they have matured in every normal way(down to where I'm even able to tell the sex.) They are active, eat food well,etc. Has anyone ever heard of this?

 

[Midnightrdr456]

have any pictures?

 

[MEXICOYA415]

Sounds more like poodle mice

 

[bugmankeith]

Mabye they have the hairless gene,and are loosing their hair as they get older? Please post some pictures.

 

[Mads]

This is caused from inbreeding, we occasionally got them as well whenever we had not introduced new genetics for a while. As is the case with most genetic mutations, good or bad, they show up whenever there is a high percentage of inbreeding. I'm not going to go into a big rant about genetics, but basically you would be best to find a new male to put with the female. The babies will probably not amount to anything anyhow, they are generally too weak, and have a number of internal abnormalities as well.

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

Dear 420: If your barebodied dwarf mice are able to breed they will become a most distinctive breed.If that is not the case,you might still decide to breed for this because undersized (and underfurred!) specimens might be easier for
small herptiles to eat than "regular" mice are.Please do not give up on them.
They may have unrealized possibilities.Please report what happens next.

Yours very truly,Louise Esther Rothstein
crystalfan2912@yahoo.com

 

[lilhildy]

If you can breed them I would buy one to add to the collection!!! Sounds like next novel pet species to me, dwarf lionheaded mice!... SWEET!
Definetly need pics.
~Josh

 

[iturnrocks]

I came into this thread expecting to hear about my favorite mouse, the grasshopper mouse. Known for stalking and killing larger rodents by grabbing them by the neck with its sharp incisors. Also howls at the moon. I read about them about 10 years ago, but have yet to actually see one in the wild.

Taken from:Northern Grasshopper Mouse, Onychomys leucogaster


Habits. These "predatory" mice occur chiefly in association with sandy or powdery soils in grasslands or open brushlands, but they are never very common as compared with other small mammals.

They are wanderers and do not live long in one place. They are reputed to usurp the burrows of other small mammals rather than take the time to construct their own. This is in keeping with their pugnacious disposition. Vernon Bailey attributes to them many of the habits of the weasel and compares one of their calls with the howl of a wolf which "is made with raised nose and open mouth in perfect wolf form." Because of their short legs and chunky body they are not fleet-footed, but they are expert at dodging, twisting, and turning and in close quarters can easily capture and overpower other mice their own size or even larger.

As the name implies, one of their chief food items in season is grasshoppers. In addition, numerous other kinds of insects, scorpions, small mice, and a variety of plants contribute to their diet. Captives are especially fond of raw liver and newborn mice. Vernon Bailey and Charles Sperry report that animal matter makes up nearly 89% of their natural food; plant material comprises only 11%.