How many offspring does a mouse produce per year? - briefly
A house mouse usually produces 5‑10 litters each year, with 5‑8 pups per litter, resulting in approximately 30‑80 offspring annually.
How many offspring does a mouse produce per year? - in detail
Mice reach sexual maturity at 5‑8 weeks and can breed throughout most of the year. A single gestation lasts about 19‑21 days, after which a female can become pregnant again within 24 hours. Consequently, a productive female can produce multiple litters annually.
Typical laboratory mouse (Mus musculus) data:
- Average litters per year: 5‑10
- Mean pups per litter: 6‑8
- Estimated annual offspring per female: 30‑80
Wild populations experience seasonal constraints. In temperate zones:
- Litters per year: 3‑4
- Pups per litter: 4‑6
- Annual offspring per female: 12‑24
Factors influencing total output:
- Photoperiod and temperature: longer daylight and moderate temperatures increase breeding frequency.
- Nutrition: abundant high‑energy food raises litter size and reduces inter‑litter interval.
- Age: peak production occurs between 2 and 6 months; output declines thereafter.
- Genetic strain: some inbred lines produce smaller litters, while hybrid vigor can raise numbers.
Calculation example for a laboratory mouse: 8 litters × 7 pups = 56 offspring in one year. Adjusting for a 10 % loss due to infant mortality yields approximately 50 surviving progeny.
Overall, a well‑fed, healthy female mouse can generate between three dozen and eighty young individuals annually, with wild counterparts typically producing one‑third to one‑half that number due to environmental limitations.