How long does it take for a mouse to grow? - briefly
A house mouse attains full adult size within roughly six to eight weeks after birth, and it becomes sexually mature by about six weeks of age.
How long does it take for a mouse to grow? - in detail
Mice reach adulthood within a relatively short period compared to larger mammals. After birth, the neonatal stage lasts about 10–14 days; during this time pups are hairless, eyes closed, and depend entirely on the dam for nutrition and warmth. By the end of the second week, fur appears, eyes open, and the young begin to explore the nest.
The weaning phase occurs between days 21 and 28. At approximately three weeks of age, pups can ingest solid food and start to separate from the mother, although they may still receive occasional nursing. Growth rates remain high, with body weight typically doubling each week during this interval.
Sexual maturity is achieved around 6–8 weeks of age. Male mice develop testes and display mating behavior, while females enter estrus cycles and can become pregnant. By eight weeks, most laboratory strains attain a stable adult weight (e.g., 20–30 g for common house mouse strains) and exhibit fully developed organ systems.
Environmental and genetic factors can modify these timelines. Temperature, diet quality, and housing density influence growth speed; richer diets and optimal temperatures accelerate development, whereas stress or poor nutrition delay it. Different strains (e.g., C57BL/6 versus BALB/c) have slight variations in maturation age, typically within a one‑week window.
Summary of key milestones:
- Birth to 2 weeks: neonatal stage, hairless, eyes closed.
- 2–3 weeks: fur development, eye opening, initial locomotion.
- 3–4 weeks: weaning, solid food intake.
- 6–8 weeks: sexual maturity, adult body weight.
Overall, a mouse progresses from birth to reproductive adulthood in roughly 6–8 weeks, with minor adjustments based on strain and rearing conditions.