The genus and species of the laboratory mouse is mus musculus and is of the order Rodentia . The laboratory mouse has been domesticated by man for many generations and is in general a very docile and easily handled animal. Other notable biological characteristics are their very acute hearing, well developed sense of smell, poor vision, small size and short generation interval.
Mice are by far the most common laboratory animal used for research.
This type of housing is available at the University of Iowa. Inbred, outbred, hybrid, transgenic or mutant mice are available from many commercial sources. The Animal Care Unit personnel are familiar with many of the commonly available strains and will assist in locating animals available for purchase. Typically, for commercially available mice, animals ordered by Thursday 12 am will arrive the following week. Most animals will recover from the stress of shipping within 48 hours.