How many offspring can a mouse have? - briefly
A house mouse usually delivers 5–10 pups per litter and can reproduce every 3–4 weeks, enabling as many as 60 offspring in a year under ideal conditions. This reproductive capacity makes the species one of the most prolific mammals.
How many offspring can a mouse have? - in detail
Mice possess a remarkable reproductive capacity. A single breeding event typically yields 5–8 newborns, but the upper limit recorded for laboratory strains reaches 12–14 pups in one litter.
The size of each brood depends on several variables: genetic strain (e.g., C57BL/6 versus outbred CD‑1), maternal age (peak fertility occurs between 8 and 12 weeks), nutritional status, and housing conditions such as temperature and crowding.
The reproductive cycle proceeds rapidly. The estrous cycle lasts 4–5 days; mating can occur shortly after parturition because females enter estrus within 24 hours postpartum. Gestation endures 19–21 days, and weaning typically occurs at 21 days of age. Consequently, a healthy adult female can produce a new litter every 30–35 days under optimal conditions.
Estimating lifetime output requires multiplying average litters per year by average pups per litter. In a well‑managed laboratory environment, a female may have 10–12 litters annually, resulting in roughly 70–100 offspring over a 12‑month reproductive span. In the wild, where mortality and resource limitations are higher, the total may drop to 30–50 pups per female.
Key figures:
- Typical litter size: 5–8 pups
- Maximum recorded litter: 12–14 pups
- Estrous cycle: 4–5 days
- Gestation: 19–21 days
- Minimum interval between litters: ~30 days
- Potential annual production (optimal): 70–100 offspring per female
These data illustrate the high fecundity of mice, enabling rapid population growth when conditions permit.