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What the sources say

House MouseMus musculus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the House Mouse profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 46 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Amori 2025

Amori (2025). Mus musculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T13972A221783227.

The page saysThe wild species is rated Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: GBIF copy of the Red List, taxon 13972, assessment DOI t13972a221783227
The page saysNo. The IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern.
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: GBIF copy of the Red List

Source
02

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Mus musculus (house mouse). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysA 12 to 30 gram squatter whose love songs are too high for human ears.
The source saysThey range from 12 to 30 g in weight.Note: tagline; weight
The page saysA 12 to 30 gram squatter whose love songs are too high for human ears.
The source saysmale mice produce complex, ultrasonic songs in response to female sex pheromonesNote: tagline
The page saysMales sing ultrasonic songs when they smell a female
The source saysmale mice produce complex, ultrasonic songs in response to female sex pheromonesNote: superpower
The page saysHouses, barns and granaries worldwide, plus cultivated fields and fencerows nearby
The source saysHouse mice generally live in close association with humans-- in houses, barns, granaries, etc. They also occupy cultivated fields, fencerowsNote: habitat
The page saysHouses, barns and granaries worldwide, plus cultivated fields and fencerows nearby
The source saysit has now been spread throughout the world by humans and lives as a human commensalNote: habitat; worldwide
The page saysOmnivore: seeds, roots, leaves, insects and any human food within reach
The source sayshouse mice eat many kinds of plant matter, such as seeds, fleshy roots, leaves and stems. InsectsNote: diet
The page saysany human food within reach
The source saysconsumes any human food that is accessibleNote: diet
The page sayshe produces complex songs in ultrasound
The source saysmale mice produce complex, ultrasonic songs in response to female sex pheromones
The page saysusing pheromones and other scents to tell each other who is dominant, who is family and who is ready to breed
The source saysThey use pheromones and other smells to communicate with each other about social dominance, family composition, and reproductive readiness.
The page saysTheir whiskers read air movements and surface textures.
The source saysuse their whiskers to feel air movements and surface textures
The page saysAn adult measures 65 to 95 mm from nose to the end of its body, with a nearly hairless tail of 60 to 105 mm
The source saysHouse mice are from 65 to 95 mm long from the tip of their nose to the end of their body, their tails are 60 to 105 mm long.Note: size
The page saysweighs 12 to 30 g
The source saysThey range from 12 to 30 g in weight.Note: weight
The page saysnearly hairless tail
The source saysThey have long tails that have very little fur
The page saysIn the wild, mice generally dwell in cracks in rocks or walls, or in underground burrows.
The source saysIn the wild state, house mice generally dwell in cracks in rocks or walls or make underground burrows
The page saysThey are generally nocturnal, run at up to 8 miles per hour, and climb, jump and swim well.
The source saysHouse mice are generally nocturnal ... House mice are quick runners (up to 8 miles per hour), good climbers, jumpers, and also swim well.
The page saysA female comes back into heat 12 to 18 hours after giving birth
The source saysFemales experience a postpartum estrus 12-18 hours after giving birth.
The page saysMice reproduce so rapidly that their populations can recover quickly from predators
The source saysThey are also capable of reproducing very rapidly, which means that populations can recover quickly from predation.Note: predators list from ADW: cats, owls, snakes
The page sayspredators such as cats, owls and snakes
The source saysHouse mice are eaten by a wide variety of small predators throughout the world, including cats , foxes , weasels , ferrets , mongooses , large lizards , snakes , hawks , falcons , and owls
The page saysWhen conditions suit, females generally have 5 to 10 litters a year.
The source saysFemales generally have 5-10 litters per year if conditions are suitable
The page saysEach litter holds 3 to 12 pups, usually 5 or 6, born naked and blind. Gestation lasts 19 to 21 days.
The source saysGestation is 19-21 days but may be extended by several days if the female is lactating. Litters consist of 3-12 (generally 5 or 6) offspring, which are born naked and blind.
The page saysThe pups are weaned at 3 weeks and sexually mature at 5 to 7 weeks.
The source saysare weaned at 3 weeks, and reach sexual maturity at 5-7 weeks
The page saysThe house mouse's original range may have run from the Mediterranean to China.
The source saysmay have originally been distributed from the Mediterranean region to China
The page saysHumans have spread it throughout the world, and it now lives as a commensal
The source saysit has now been spread throughout the world by humans and lives as a human commensal
The page saysIt generally lives in houses, barns and granaries and seldom strays far from buildings
The source saysHouse mice generally live in close association with humans-- in houses, barns, granaries, etc. They also occupy cultivated fields, fencerows, and even wooded areas, but they seldom stray far from buildings
The page saysliving with people has let it settle tundra and desert it could not occupy independently
The source saysBecause of their association with humans, house mice have been able inhabit inhospitable areas (such as tundra and desert) which they would not be able to occupy independently.
The page saysCommensal populations can reach 10 mice per square meter, while wild ones may be less than 1 per 100 square meters.
The source saysCommensal populations of Mus musculus are generally stable and densities can be as high as 10 mice per square meter. In the wild, populations are less stable and densities may be less than 1 mouse per 100 square meters.Note: 'Crowded' is the body's word for 'as high as'; fixing in text
The page saysIn the wild a mouse eats seeds, fleshy roots, leaves and stems, plus insects and carrion when it can.
The source saysIn the wild, house mice eat many kinds of plant matter, such as seeds, fleshy roots, leaves and stems. Insects ( beetle larvae , caterpillars , and cockroaches ) and meat (carrion) may be taken when available.
The page saysIndoors, it eats any accessible human food, and even glue and soap.
The source saysIn human habitation, Mus musculus consumes any human food that is accessible as well as glue, soap, and other household materials.
The page saysIndoors it builds nests from rags and paper.
The source saysWhen living with humans, house mice nest behind rafters, in woodpiles, storage areas, or any hidden spot near a source of food. They construct nests from rags, paper, or other soft substances
The page saysMice spoil stored food with their droppings, and they contribute to the spread of diseases such as murine typhus and salmonella.
The source saysthey do consume and contaminate stored human food with their droppings ... they contribute to the spread of diseases such as murine typhus, rickettsial pox, tularemia, food poisoning (Salmonella)
The page saysHumans have bred many domestic forms, from white to black and spotted.
The source saysMany domestic forms of mice have been developed that vary in color from white to black and with spots.
The page saysOne genetic strain, the "dancing" mouse, has inner ear defects that make it weave, circle and wobble as it walks.
The source saysThe former refers to a genetic strain with inner ear defects, causing the mice to weave, turn in circles, and wobble when they walk.
The page saysThe squeaks mice trade in the nest are the part you can hear.
The source saysHouse mice often squeak to each other in the nest.
The page saysYou can hear their squeaks, but not their songs.
The source saysHouse mice often squeak to each other in the nest. They use pheromones and other smells to communicate with each other about social dominance, family composition, and reproductive readiness. It was recently discovered that male mice produce complex, ultrasonic songsNote: FAQ 2; ultrasonic means above human hearing (definition)
The page saysA male's song is ultrasonic, pitched above human hearing, and he sings it in response to a female's sex pheromones.
The source saysmale mice produce complex, ultrasonic songs in response to female sex pheromonesNote: FAQ 2; 'pitched above human hearing' defines ultrasonic
The page saysUnder good conditions one female usually has 5 to 10 litters a year, and each brings 3 to 12 young, most often 5 or 6, after a pregnancy of just 19 to 21 days.
The source saysFemales generally have 5-10 litters per year if conditions are suitable ... Gestation is 19-21 days ... Litters consist of 3-12 (generally 5 or 6) offspringNote: FAQ 3
The page saysThe house mouse (Mus musculus) sings, but you will never hear it.
The source saysmale mice produce complex, ultrasonic songs in response to female sex pheromonesNote: 'never hear' = ultrasonic, above the range of human hearing (definition)
The page saysMale house mice produce complex ultrasonic songs in response to female sex pheromones
The source saysmale mice produce complex, ultrasonic songs in response to female sex pheromonesNote: vibe.reason
The page saysweightKg: 0.02
The source saysThey range from 12 to 30 g in weight.Note: battleStats.weightKg, typical adult (#1117)
The page saysdangerLevel: Medium
The source saysinjures humans carries human diseaseNote: stats.dangerLevel (#1185): ADW lists injuring humans and carrying disease under negative impacts, so Medium (can injure, rarely seriously) rather than Low

Source
03

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources

AnAge entry for Mus musculus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

The page saysThe record for a normal mouse is 4 years, set by a male from a wild-derived strain kept in a lab
The source saysThe record longevity for normal mice is 4 years, belonging to one male specimen from a wild-derived strain kept in the lab
The page saysFour years at most, and that was in a laboratory. AnAge lists 4 years as the captive maximum for an ordinary mouse, reached by one male of a wild-derived strain.
The source saysMaximum longevity 4 years (captivity) ... The record longevity for normal mice is 4 years, belonging to one male specimen from a wild-derived strain kept in the labNote: FAQ 1
The page saysMutant and calorie-restricted lab mice have outlived it, but AnAge leaves them out when comparing species.
The source saysMutant and caloric restricted mice, however, can live over 4 years [ 0011 ], though these are not deemed suitable for species comparisonsNote: FAQ 1

Source
04

Perlman 2016

Perlman (2016). Mouse Models of Human Disease: An Evolutionary Perspective. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.

The page saysA wild mouse's life expectancy is less than a year, depending on its surroundings.
The source sayswild mice have a much shorter life expectancy (less than a year, depending of course on environmental conditions) than do laboratory strains

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.