Trail vs. town mice

imported
#1

How come shelter mice are so keen and aggessive, while in the city the mice don’t raid our food like that? I mean, in a shelter you can have a handfull of oatmeal sealed in a ziplock baggie, suspended in midair from a string with a tuna can blocking the way, and the goddarn mice will sniff it out and get it.

Back home, think of all the food crumbs we let fall to the floor, and all the smelly food we leave laying around loosly wrapped. Why don’t we have to hang our food at home, and why don’t the city mice come and get it?

Scratch

#2

They have a lot more food sources in towns/cities.

Nokia

#3

Scratch, I have long suspected that there is a clandestine training program for shelter mice. Vigorous physical training in acrobatic skills, mental skills training, logistical training. It is a core of highly trained and extremely dedicated mice that we are dealing with. So dedicated are they that even in the dead of winter, with snow surrounding the shelter, and few humans coming around to the shelter, they are there lurking in the shadows, ready to show off their skills. Pastor John

Pastor John

#4

Why are the trail mice more aggressive? Because on the trail we hikers are the intruders into their (the mice) home turf. In the city, it gets reversed.

For those of you who have seen Apocalypse Now, remember the part where Robert Duvall explained things by saying “Charlie (the Viet Cong) doesn’t surf”? It’s all about who belongs on the “turf”.

jaws

#5

Scratch, this might be more than you want to know.

Mice are nocturnal creatures, and, therefore, are rarely seen by the homeowner. However, the opposite is true for hikers. Hikers are just getting to the shelters when the mice are waking up. Mice are “nibblers” and may make 20-30 visits to different food sites each night. They really do run around in those shelters are night long.

Mice feed on a wide variety of foods but prefer seeds, nuts and cereal grains (GORP). Mice also are fond of foods high in fat and protein such as candy, energy bars and sweets (the same food that hikers are fond of).

Mice forage only short distances from their nest – usually not more than 10-25 feet. When food and shelter are adequate, their foraging range may be only a few feet. Mice are very inquisitive and will investigate each new object placed in their foraging territory. Mice are able to squeeze through extremely small openings narrower than the diameter of a dime.

Mice are prolific breeders, producing 6-10 litters continuously throughout the year. The greatest danger with mice is the contaminated food and clothing damaged by their droppings and urine, or damaged by their gnawing.

Bilko

#6

City mice are exposed to many things that sap their strength and resolve, making them less alert and lazy. For example, it’s common for city mice to chew on crack rocks dropped to the ground in urban shelters, which they mistake for oatmeal. This results in a mouse with a short burst of furious activity but not focused on food. City mice also are overexposed to junk food, unhealthy sex and cable television, which dulls their sniffers and will to break into food bags.

Country mice on the other hand, breathe fresh air and have to work harder to pillage, keeping their senses and minds sharp and active. Nothing gets by them, unlike their soft urban cousins.

Foodbag

#7

Yeah, and country mice listen to Rush Limbaugh and city mice listen to Al Franken. Explains it all to me!

Skyline

#8

Don’t mess with them, either. They’ll remember it. Practice humane catch-and-release if you must contain them at all.

Or, my house might be next:

Vengeful mouse sets house ablaze (cnn news link).

marty

#9

Yeah, that’s right. You can tell from marty’s post that we mean business. Leave the food bag and no one gets hurt.

vengeful mouse