Some Good News! Sexing Wild Mice. . .

[Die Fledermaus]

I started a thread about the agouti/wild mice I have here some time ago. I had many concerns based on how CRAZY wild a previous bunch were - totally uncontrollable.

I considered many options, including mass anesthesia!

Well, I dug in today. . . I had been pulling out the white and light gray ones who, by genetics, occasionally appeared and are passable tame. But the darker agoutis were the concern.

They were wild and frisky, but not uncontrollably so! With a lot of care and fast hands I got them, and I could even have some success sexing them; they do not try to bite nearly as much as the other batch, nor are they as quick trying to do that.

So, we can manage, with effort.

The differences with genetics, even in behavior, is really interesting.

[Dezzi]

Why don't you just wear gloves?

[Die Fledermaus]

Because tight latex gloves they will bit through as if it was not there; heavier gloves I can't feel them. I can shake them down from the tail, or use something to hold them down from climbing their own tails to try to bite.

This batch is very frisky and difficult, but with care it can be done. A little calmer gene got in there; that previous batch of agoutis was INSANELY wild!

I did a little more work, and dumped some tanks' stinky bedding. More work to come, and I need to bone up on mouse sexing - it can get tricky.

[Die Fledermaus]

The wllder mice are separated into five tanks, coming from two over crowded tanks. The smelly old ones are long gone. I think I have sexed them properly, but will recheck soon; young ones are hard to identify. With Winter coming they would have found it hard to survive in a big park, even a wild one. And this Winter may be harder even than last.

[Dezzi]

Good to hear!

[Die Fledermaus]

It is interesting indeed that although wild, they are not CRAZY wild, that is because even though they appear agouti/feral, they have some genes from a tame whitish/gray fellow, their grandpa! That calmed them down just barely enough for me to handle them, with care. The previous agouti crew years ago was INSANE!!