Red mouse

The **red mouse** is a rodent native to western and northern Nareemia and throughout most of Siere. The red mouse, despite being a wild animal, has benefited greatly from its association with human settlement, to the point where fully wild populations are far less prevalent than semi-tame populations near human activity.

## Habitat and distribution

The red mouse in Nareemia is mainly found throughout western and northen regions, they are present in Gastwere, Chimchester, Stagg, North Sandona, New Hayburg, Hasriden, western Vitena, western Montane, western and northern New Siere and in the east are found throughout most of North Smitona except the extreme south, northern Sommet, northernmost Hualente, western Athens, and northwestern Maineda. In Siere, they are present from the west coast to the east and are present mostly everywhere except for the far northern tundral regions where they would be very weak. Red mice are a major problem in most of the west coast of Nareemia especially in coastal regions of Stagg where, in the capital of Peterman, there are up to 24 mice per sq km. Red mice are the dominating mouse species in most of the western portion of Siere and Nareemia as well as portions of Hualente and North Smitona, a study shown that up to nearly one million red mice call Peterman home which is nearly the population of the entire city itself.

## Characteristics

Adult red mice have a body length of 7.5–10 centimetres (nose to base of tail) and a tail length of 5–10 centimetres. The average weight is 40–45cm). They come in a variety of colours in the wild, ranging from grey to light brown to black (individual hairs are agouti coloured), while domesticated red mice come in a variety of hues, from white to champagne to black. They have short hair and a light belly in certain sub-species, but not all. There is very little hair on the ears and tail. In comparison to Apodemus mice, the hind feet are short, measuring just 15–19 mm in length; the normal gait is a run with a stride of about 4.5 cm, yet they can jump vertically up to 45 cm. A high-pitched squeak is heard. Red mice flourish in a range of environments; they can be found in and around homes, businesses, forests, and other structures.

## Behaviour

When eating, fighting, or orienting themselves, red mice often run, walk, or stand on all fours, but when eating, fighting, or orienting themselves, they rear up on their hind legs with additional support from the tail, a movement known as "tripoding." Mice are excellent jumpers, climbers, and swimmers, and they are thigmotactic, meaning they try to retain contact with vertical surfaces. Red mice are typically nocturnal or crepuscular, and they dislike bright lighting. A caged red mouse is said to sleep for 12.5 hours each day on average. They build nests out of various soft materials and reside in a variety of hiding areas near food sources. Mice are territorial, and usually only one dominant male lives with multiple females and young. Dominant males usually respect each other's territories and only enter one another's if it is empty. If two or more males are kept in a cage together, they are likely to grow hostile unless they have been nurtured together since birth. Red mice are omnivore and eat mostly plant stuff. To obtain nutrients created by microorganisms in their intestines, they eat their own faeces. Most rodents, including red mice, do not vomit.