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Similarities Of Mice And Rats

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Rats and mice - habitat and life cycles Rodents can be found everywhere on earth. Among the several different types of rodents, the ones that mostly prefer to live near humans, being the most numerous, are the mice and rats. They live in colonies which comprise of complex hierarchies, wherein they form deep bonds, often putting their own lives at risk to save family and friends. Their best habitats are cavities, holes inside walls, in sewer pipes, in stores where foodstuffs are kept, in the fields and in garbage dumps. As a matter of fact, they love to live anywhere food is available and is convenient for them to put up a nest. In addition, they can easily adjust to any kind of climate and even wipe out original mammals occupying the same niche. The differences between rats and mice Although both rats and mice appear similar to the normal observer, there is a minor disparity between them. Rats are differentiated from mice by …show more content…

They reproduce rapidly, as generally it is the case with small prey animals. No matter how well they are cared for, they possess somewhat short life span. Generally they have short gestational periods and their quick sexual maturity makes effective rodent control decisive. The reproductive cycle and the number of these rodent’s offspring increases with sufficient water, food and harbourage. Mice become sexually mature and able to mate in as little as 5 weeks. Generally, sexual maturity is reached in five to eight weeks. In captivity, mice never worry about predators rather they do worry about hazards such as obesity, which can shorten their lives. Similar to mice, the average life cycle of rats is about two to three years. They become sexually matured in two to three months and can reproduce about 7 litters yearly. The gestation period for rats is short also, about three weeks for most of the

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