This weeks animal of the week are the Zebra Mice. Zebra Mice need plenty of mental stimulation and space. They inhabit grassy environments and feed on seeds, plants and insects. They tend to live in small family groups in landscapes ranging from native to coastal Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in northwest Africa.
They are active animals and need regular exercise. Mice use their whiskers, or vibrissae, to aid detection of objects to explore their environment as well as a well-developed sense of smell and hearing.
If startled, zebra mice can jump up to tow feet off the ground! The tail, which is used for balance, has only a thin covering of hair as it is the main peripheral organ of heat loss in thermoregulation along with - to a lesser extent - the hairless parts of the paws and ears.
These mice make excellent jumpers, climbers and swimmers.
