Videos of Zebra Mice
Handling & Taming Zebra Mice
Handling Zebra mice can be difficult, especially initially due to a nervous disposition. At first Zebra mice may only flee when you come near, making normal attempts to entice them with food a bit futile. You will need to be patient and get them used to both your voice and scent before handling them.
To begin handling Zebra mice cup both hands round either side of your mouse and lift but be careful that it does not jump since they are unable to judge the distance from the ground. You may need to corner your Zebra mouse in the tank to be able to do this. You can also try to train your mouse to walk into a toilet tube or similar, when they have entered carefully pick up whilst blocking both exits. You can then place on a safe surface or block one end and place your hand at the other.
Zebra mouse tails are very fragile, so never pick them up by these as it may break. A broken tail does not regrow. If needed they can be held gently using two fingers at the scruff on the back of their neck to inspect for illness or injury.
Zebra mice are a beautiful creature and are fascinating to watch. Some animals may never accustom themselves to being handled however, so they are generally more of a pet to watch than to interact with.
Zebra Mice Environment
A tank is a good setup for a Zebra mouse environment since plastic will only be chewed. For a pair, work with a minimum tank size of three foot by one foot width, making full use of both width and height of the habitat. Some branches and perches intended for parrots can be laid on their side to provide climbing opportunities; natural wood accessories usually sold for lizards are also good. Sisal rope can be strung across the habitat, wooden ladders and hammocks are useful too. Plenty of climbing material and multiple nest are a must.
If you are getting your own branches from the woods for a Zebra mouse setup, check you are using safe woods for rodents. You also need to collect from an area without pesticides that is not close to the roadside as exhaust fumes make wood poisonous to rodents.
A Zebra mouse environment needs adequate ventilation such as a wire mesh lid with the cage placed in a shaded area of your house. Although Zebra mice do not seem to enjoy burrowing a great deal, a good layer of bedding is useful with a layer of hay for making small nests with. Hay is ideal for chewing since it aids their digestion. See the section on enrichment for other ideas for your Zebra mouse habitat.
A small solid wheel can be used for Zebra mice to exercise, although make sure that this is the medium size silent spinner - the smaller version is only suitable for some species of dwarf hamsters. Wheels need to be solid-based to prevent fragile tails getting trapped.
Like many exotic rodents, Zebra mice benefit from a setup with natural enrichment that matches their habitat in the wild as much as possible. Having a natural setup not only looks attractive, but will help keep your Zebra mice happy.
Zebra Mice Diet
Zebra mice need an interesting, varied diet combining seeds, fruits, vegetables and insects. Zebra mice are omnivorous and their diet in the wild comprises of a wide range of foods rather than specialising in any plants or seeds.
There is some contention over whether they are prone to obesity or not, so care should be taken when giving fatty treats such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds in a Zebra mouses diet. Live insects such as crickets or mealworms may be included, giving one or two of these insects every few days.
Dried tree branches on give your pets lots of nutrients and are interesting for them to chew, you can leave the leaves on. Please check that the wood is safe for rodents and that it was taken from an area not near a roadside and is free of pesticides.
Zebra mice will each have their own preferences so its worth trying a variety of new foods to see which your animal decides on.
Water
Should always be available, either in a normal dish or via bottles.
Versatile seed mix
A standard mouse or hamster mix is fine, as long as has a good variety. It should not be too heavy on peanuts or sunflowers. Oats are a good addition to this mix with the supplements below.
Fresh
Vegetables and fruits such as broccoli, carrot, sweet potato, corn, apples, grapes, plums, pears papaya or melon. Check where your Zebra mice are hiding this, as they will stash food and if you've given them more than they will eat you do not want it rotting.
Protein
Such as scrambled or hard-boiled egg, small pieces of boiled chicken, and cheese. Dried or live mealworms are a good addition to a Zebra mouses diet and so are small crickets.
Treats
Sunflower seeds, mealworms, pumpkin seeds, and monkey nuts are good. Sprays of millet are popular and can be draped across their enclosure. Treat sticks are a good occasional food, although their nutritional value isn't high they are interesting for your pet, helping to wear down teeth.