The African pygmy mouse (''Mus minutoides'') is one of the smallest

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

s. It is widespread within sub-Saharan Africa, and is kept as a pet in other parts of the world. Like the common and widely introduced european

house mouse 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''. A ...

, it is a member of the enormous superfamily

Muroidea The Muroidea are a large Taxonomic rank, superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, lemmings, Gerbillinae, gerbils, and many other relatives. Although the Muroidea originated in Eurasia, they occupy a vast variety of habitat ...

, which includes over 1000 different

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

. It forms a super-

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

with '' Mus musculoides''. Grey to brick-red overall, it is pale on the underside and has small but prominent triangular ears. Adult body length averages long, with a tail. Average adults body weight is . The African pygmy mouse reaches breeding age at about 6 to 8 weeks. Pregnancy lasts for around 20 days and the litter of about three young is born blind and hairless. Average weight of puppies at birth is Their eyes open after 2 weeks, and weaning is complete after 3 weeks. The lifespan is about 2 years, although individual specimens have been reported to live over 4 years in captivity. The African pygmy mouse has a number of unique traits. It stacks pebbles in front of its burrow. Overnight, the pebbles gather dew and in the morning, the pygmy mouse drinks the dew on the pebbles. After that, it retires to its den. Its method of sex determination has also been found to differ from most mammals in that rearrangements of the

X chromosome The X chromosome is one of the two sex chromosomes in many organisms, including mammals, and is found in both males and females. It is a part of the XY sex-determination system and XO sex-determination system. The X chromosome was named for its u ...

have led to many XY individuals actually being female. The species lives in colonies or in pairs in grass close to water and is an excellent climber.

As pets

Pygmy mice are often kept as pets, but require social interaction, so should always be kept as pairs or small colonies.African Pygmy Mouse
Heritage-pets.tripod.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-28. They have quite simple care needs, and are active during both day and night,African Pygmy Mice Overview – Crittery Exotics
Crittery.co.uk. Retrieved on 2012-12-28. but cannot be handled due to the risk of inadvertently causing internal damage due to their small size and tendency to jump when startled. Despite their size, they can jump up to . Domestically, they are often kept in a covered aquarium so that they do not escape.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q386974 Mammals described in 1834 Mus (rodent) Rodents of Africa Mammals of Zambia