Would mice eat a dead mouse?

minkersmum

minkersmum

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Aug 4, 2009
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I have mice come in every winter. We are surrounded by fields and evryone around here has this problem even houses with 5+ cats. I manage the situation using traps. Not humane ones i'm afraid but proper snapper trappers as problem can easily get out of hand (been there 2 winters ago and had mouse droppings in the beds and a huge hole in my sofa:()

So now every couple of days i check my traps. Usually i get a bout one a week can be more when snowy etc. Anyway today i checked trap and there was only the rements of a mouse left. Literally the skull and tail. Last checked 4 days ago and emptied big fat cold dead mouse out (which is the usual) All round the trap were mouse droppings so i can only presume it was mice.

There is no sign of rat droppings and have put rat traps down previousy and only ever got field mice in it so don't think its rats. No bats here just now as away in winter so i can only think of mice.


Anyone seen this happen??

Not a very cheery topic sorry but had to ask:D
 
Yes, I think they would, particularly if food was scarce. I kept gerbils as a child, and being a child was somewhat unaware of the breeding capacity of my cute little furry pets - i just adored all the little babies. Mummy gerbil wasn't quite so sentimental though, and took it upon herself to decrease her brood by about half :(
 
Thanks Portia I have heard of pet rodents eating one another so did think it was a possibility. To be honest the multiple mouse dropping around the scene make me almost sure its been mice. Canibal field mice:eek::eek:

Yuk its a horrible thought. They must be starving. Our snow is so heavy just now. Poor wee mice but if only they would stay in the sheds i wouldn't mind, just can't have them taking over the house.
 
I bred gerbils too and yes they did eat there dead. Maybe it is a self preservation thing as well beause then other predetors wont be attracted to the nest by the smell of dead one, so they get rid of it. Like a cat burrying droppings to hide smell of their existence.

Yes my gerbils were fed plenty! They werent hungry, but in this cold weather I imagine any animal would do the same. Even humans ate each other in that famous plane crash years ago.
 
I think they would too, especially with a lack of food around.

I know rats eat dead rats, when driving past a rat once that had been run over, I saw another one standing over it. "Oh that's so sad, that could have been his girlfriend!!" I said...upon closer inspection it was eating the others head!! Gross!! :eek:
 
Happy Hacker 01 said:
I know rats eat dead rats, when driving past a rat once that had been run over, I saw another one standing over it. "Oh that's so sad, that could have been his girlfriend!!" I said...upon closer inspection it was eating the others head!! Gross!! :eek:
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Oh dear ....... :(:D. If mice would only know their place and not come into the house then it wouldn't be such a problem.

Cannibal rodents :eek:
 
I too had a gerbil who ate its deceased brother, and the same with two dwarf hamsters who fought to the death... nice. I always thought it was an instinct thing to utilise all available moisture and nutrition in animals that come from very desolate habitats.

I guess it would be the same for mice and rats, bit gross to recover though!
 
We use to breed mice for the snakes (back in SA and my brother runs a snake park) but yip they will eat one another. Especially if food is difficult to find, there are too many in the family or if they fight with one another.
 
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