What Do Mice Eat? the List of Mouse Food Preferences

Deficiency (4 to 21 days) led to increased activity in hepatic thiamin pyrophosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and acid phosphatase (Tumanov and Trebukhina, 1983). Exposure of thiamin-deficient mice to ethanol resulted in brain damage that was more severe than either treatment alone (Phillips, 1987). Based on data reported by Fenton and Cowgill (1947a,b) and Wynder and Kline (1965), mice require 4 mg riboflavin/kg diet for normal growth. However, diets resulting in normal reproduction in mouse colonies generally contain 6 or 7 mg riboflavin/kg diet (American Institute of Nutrition, 1977).

“I had one my most memorable preparations of paca at the house of Therese Castillo in the coastal town of Hopkins in Belize. One of her specialties is gibnut (the local word for paca), which she prepares in a simple stew with onions that accentuates the meat’s sweet, porky richness”, DuFord remembers. In Panama, the paca is such a desirable meat that the country’s authorities declared hunting paca illegal to keep the species’ population sustainable, he added. In Uruguay, DuFord found nutria (Myocastor coypus) being served at an upscale restaurant in Montevideo.

Some rodents primarily consume plant material as their main source of food, while others may include plants as part of their diet. Signs of Magnesium Deficiency Alcock and Shils (1974) reported magnesium-deficient mice developed rapid and usually fatal convulsions without previous hyperirritability. Soft tissue calcification resulting from magnesium deficiency has been reported in the hereditarily diabetic KK mouse strain (Hamuro et al., 1970). It’s an opportunity for them to enjoy a wide range of nutrient-rich nibbles of bread, cheese, meat, and desserts.

The term mouse defines a small rodent, with a pointed snout, long tail and a fast reproductive rate. It isn’t a term that is of much use at a scientific level, as it encompasses several rodents (order Rodentia) that aren’t close relatives. Rats have a liking for compost heaps, the light friable nature of the compost is ideal for burrowing. Therefore, providing them with environmental enrichment is crucial by offering different types of food, rotating treats, and providing toys or puzzles that encourage their natural foraging instincts. Understanding what do mice like to eat in the wild is crucial when eliminating them from your home.

But here we’re going to outline what we know about mice and their eating preferences. The amount of dietary selenium that caused a considerable reduction in the activity of liver glutathione peroxidase ranged from 10 to 16 µg/kg diet . Negative effects on the physiological or biochemical status of mammals have been shown if the diet is unsupplemented with iodine, selenium, and molybdenum.

MacEwan and Carpenter (1980) showed that 0.05 percent niacin reduced the L-tryptophan requirement from 0.125 percent to 0.1 percent of the diet in C3HeJ mice gaining 0.7 g/day. Intestinal bacteria in mice synthesize undetermined amounts of vitamin B12 that can be utilized by the host. The presence of endogenous vitamin B12 generally confounds attempts to determine the quantitative requirements of this vitamin for mice. Jaffé (1952), however, reported a vitamin B12 requirement in excess of 5 µg/kg diet for growth and between 4 and 5 µg/kg diet for reproduction and lactation.

No toxicity was found after the injection of 104 µmol/kg (1.7 × 106 IU/kg). In contrast, only 5.5 nmol 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol/kg was required to produce toxicity in C57BL/6J mice (Crocker et al., 1985).

While all of the food choices listed above might not seem too astonishing, they do have a few other dietary preferences that are a lot more unconventional. This may sound like the title of a creepy movie, but yes mice do eat other insects especially centipedes, roaches, and crickets to name a few. Peanut butter, candy, jelly beans are all some of the top favorite foods of mice.

This parallels the finding for rats (Hurley et al., 1976) that the magnesium requirement for lactation is higher than for growth. Natural-ingredient diets containing 1,800 and 2,600 mg Mg/kg diet provided for good growth and reproduction in three mouse strains (Knapka et al., 1974). The magnesium concentration in the widely used AIN-76 (American Institute of Nutrition, 1977) purified diet is 500 mg/kg. Since the data regarding the quantitative magnesium requirements for mice are inconsistent and not definitive, 500 mg Mg/kg diet is the estimated requirement for this species, and the requirement for lactation may be as high as 700 mg/kg, at least for some strains.

The DBA mice developed the EFA deficiency syndrome more rapidly than did the C57 mice. Berkow and Campagnoni (1983) reported reduced myelination and abnormal myelin composition in C57BL/6J female mice fed EFA-deficient diets during the rapid growth phase. The mouse, like the rat, requires linoleic acid to avoid classical signs of EFA deficiency; however, the precise requirement for n-6 fatty acids has not been determined. Cerecedo et al. (1952) reported that 5 mg linoleate/day alleviated clinical signs of EFA deficiency in three mouse strains (C57, DBA, C3H) that had become EFA-deficient after eating a fat-free diet for more than 50 days postweaning.

The successful maintenance of mouse colonies fed diets devoid of ascorbic acid has confirmed the demonstration by Ball and Barnes (1941) that the mouse requires no dietary source of vitamin C. Concentrations in eyes, were only slightly increased; and brain, adrenal gland, and leukocyte concentrations were unchanged in mice consuming diets containing 80 g/kg (Tsao et al., 1987; Tsao and Leung, 1989). Signs of Manganese Deficiency A deficiency of manganese during prenatal development can result in congenital irreversible ataxia, which is characterized by lack of equilibrium and retraction of the head.

The genus of mice par excellence is Mus (family Muridae), which has 38 different species. Among them we have the very famous house mouse (Mus musculus), native to the Mediterranean area and Check this for Eating disorders in animals which has colonized practically the whole world. This small rodent enjoys a dubious reputation, as it establishes its population nuclei in human environments (farms, barns and basements).

Rodent mini‐livestock would also be well suited for city dwellers to improve their menu with self‐reared meat. This could also help to reduce the environmental impact of meat production. Beef and pork are particularly expensive in terms of energy, water and land resources needed. A ton of beef requires somewhere between 16,000 and 20,000 cubic metres of water only to produce the feed the animals need; a ton of pork would need between 4,600 and 5,900 cubic metres of water. Rodents, on the other hand, could be maintained on smaller spaces, feed on leftover vegetables and other discarded foods and therefore drastically reduce water usage as no additional feed would be required.

In the absence of more recent and definitive data regarding the vitamin B12 requirements for mice, 10 µg vitamin B12/kg diet is the estimated requirement for this species. It has been shown by Wolfe and Salter (1931) that vitamin A is required by the mouse, and the mouse has been used extensively in studies of vitamin A metabolism and of the role of vitamin A in the prevention of cancer. Little work has been done to establish the vitamin A requirement of mice, however, and depleting the mouse of its vitamin A stores is difficult (McCarthy and Cerecedo, 1952).

Rats can feed on the fruit and vegetables that we intend to eat, either while it is growing or after it has been harvested and is being stored. Rats often carry a bacteria that can infect people, causing a form of jaundice known as leptospirosis or Weil’s (pronounced ‘Viles’) disease (NHS information). We’ll explore what mice and rats eat, both in the wild and in captivity, along with some unique facts about these little foragers. While humans can metabolize theobromine relatively easily, rodents and other animals are much less efficient at breaking it down.

As a result, even small amounts of chocolate can cause health problems for rodents, such as vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and even death in severe cases. Overall, rodents have a varied diet, and some species are known to be opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat whatever food is available to them, including plants. Another rodent historically eaten in Venezuela is the Lapa, which weighs up to 15 kg.

Lee et al. (1962) demonstrated that mice require vitamin B12 for gestation. The widespread use of the AIN-76 (American Institute of Nutrition, 1977) purified diet containing 10 µg vitamin B12/kg has not resulted in any reports of vitamin B12 deficiency signs. This indicates that the vitamin B12 concentration in the AIN-76 diets is adequate for mice.

Their diet may change seasonally, with a higher consumption of nuts and seeds in the fall to store energy for the winter months. Darrin DuFord, food writer and traveller, has also eaten different rodent species in South and Central America and said they beat your chicken breast any day. DuFord found Cuy being served in some restaurants in New York, and in many restaurants throughout Peru and Ecuador along with pacas (Cuniculus paca), also known as “conejo pintado”, majas, labba or tepezcuintle.