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Zebra Mouse Breeders

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Article By Christine Ham

PET POTENTIAL
Zebra mice are great as pets, and since they are desert mice they do not have an offensive odor. When the Zebra mice are provided with an appropriate cage they can also be extremely entertaining animals. They are not a social animal and they can be housed alone or with litter mates ( ie - two male siblings or two female siblings), they will get along just fine. Never try to put together two females or two males that have not been raised together - they will fight till the death.

When handling Zebra mice do not pick them up by their tails. Their tails are extremely fragile and breaks easily. So when you go to pick up a Zebra always cup your hands around them, just be careful that it cannot jump.

NEGATIVES
The only negative point of the Zebra mouse that I personally can think of is they are not suitable pet for handling. They are what I refer to as “FUZZY FISH”. Something that is neat to set up in a cool tank to sit back and watch. They also have the ability to jump very high ( about 2 feet) and run very fast.

HOUSING
A 10 gallon aquarium is the smallest recommended for two Zebra mice , as they need lots of room to play. Never house them in all wire cages - #1 - it can be too drafty; #2 - they can squeeze through the bars. Branches for them to climb, such as arbutus and apple (not chemically sprayed), are a must. They also need a hamster wheel such as the “WODENT WHEEL”- use caution with wheels, their long tails tend to get caught. A house for sleeping, chew toys and tubes. Zebra’s mice love to chew, so a glass water tube is recommended, they’ll chew through a plastic one in no time! Also remember these mice are from Africa where it is nice and warm. So try to keep them in a room in your home that tends to warm all year round. For you do not want to keep them in a room were it can become very cold or drafty - this will usually cause a very unfortunate ending to their life.

DIET
Zebra mice are very easy to feed, a good rodent mix, hay and rodent blocks. A couple times a week you can offer fruits and vegetables or monkey biscuits or even some mealworms. Always keep a fresh supply of water with vitamins available. Average captive lifespan is about 3 years.

The grass mouse, chipmunk mouse or commonly known as the zebra mouse come from South Africa. they are approximately 6 1/2" long with an 8" to 12" tail. Their hind legs are very stong, enabling them to jump as high as 24" straight up into the air from a stand still. They are stripped with a dark brown and chestnut cobination. The coloring gets lighter as you move towards the tail. Their belly is white. They have a rather sleek look. The zebra mouse has small ears and big eyes. their nose is long and narrow.

Housing
You will need an aquarium to house your zebra mouse. A wire cage is discourage because their small legs can get caught i the wire and cause injury. Zebra mice should be kept in groups and not alone. Be sure you place your tank away from drafts and direct sunlight. We recommend you use Aspen bedding. Line your aquarium with a small amount of bedding and provide your zebra mice with different levls. I use scrap boards and stack them in the cage to provide a plaground type atmosphere. I also put clay pots on their sides to provide a hidding and/or nesting area. High quality alfalfa hay is used as a nesting material. DO NOT use running wheels. They will injure the mice.

Feeding
I feed my zebra mice a rodent mix I mix myself that includes rodent blocks. You can provide your mice with rodent blocks and a high quality seed mix. I also provide them with a high quality hay. Hay not only keep you mice busy by giving them something to do with their teeth, it also aids in digestion. You can purchase 8 to 16oz alfalfa hay bales or cubes from most pet stores. If you buy a bale of hay be sure it smells green and is free from mold and dust. I also provide mineral blocks and fresh fuits and vegetables on occasion and plenty of drinking water. Also, provide you mice with a cuddle bone for added calcium. This is espeically important to nursing or pregnant mice.