How many days can a mouse live without food and water? - briefly
A mouse typically endures 2–3 days without water and up to about a week without food, but when both are absent, death usually occurs within roughly 2–3 days.
How many days can a mouse live without food and water? - in detail
Mice possess a high metabolic rate, which makes them extremely sensitive to the lack of both nutrients and fluids. When deprived of water alone, dehydration becomes the primary cause of death. Under laboratory conditions at ambient temperatures of 20‑22 °C, adult laboratory mice typically survive only 24–48 hours without access to water. The exact limit shortens in warmer environments because evaporative loss accelerates.
Starvation without any liquid intake extends survival only marginally beyond the dehydration limit. In experiments where mice received water but no food, the average survival time ranged from 4 to 7 days, depending on strain, age, and body condition. Younger animals, which have lower fat reserves, tend to succumb earlier, while well‑fed adults with higher adiposity may persist toward the upper end of the range.
When both food and water are withheld simultaneously, the timeline collapses to the dehydration ceiling. Observations indicate that most mice die within 2 days, with occasional outliers surviving up to 3 days under optimal cooling. The following factors modulate these periods:
- Ambient temperature: Higher temperatures increase respiratory and cutaneous water loss, reducing survival by up to 50 %.
- Humidity: Low relative humidity accelerates evaporative dehydration, shortening the window of viability.
- Strain differences: Certain inbred strains (e.g., C57BL/6) display slightly longer starvation tolerance than others (e.g., BALB/c).
- Body mass and fat stores: Larger, fatter individuals possess greater endogenous water and energy reserves, marginally extending survival.
- Age: Juvenile mice lack sufficient metabolic buffers and die sooner than mature adults.
Physiologically, the lack of water leads to rapid plasma volume reduction, hemoconcentration, and failure of renal function. Even if caloric reserves remain, the ensuing electrolyte imbalance and organ failure precipitate death. In contrast, when water is available but food is absent, the body mobilizes glycogen, then fatty acids and protein, sustaining vital functions until the cumulative energy deficit becomes fatal.
In summary, a mouse deprived of hydration alone survives roughly one to two days; without nourishment but with water, survival extends to about a week; simultaneous deprivation of both resources reduces the lifespan to no more than two days, with environmental and biological variables influencing the exact duration.