How many pups does a mouse give birth to at once and how often? - briefly
A typical house mouse delivers a litter of roughly five to six pups, with possible variation between three and twelve individuals. Breeding cycles occur every three to four weeks, enabling about five to ten litters per year.
How many pups does a mouse give birth to at once and how often? - in detail
The common house mouse typically produces a litter of 5 to 8 young, although recorded extremes range from 3 to 14 pups. Litter size varies with genetics, nutrition, and ambient temperature; abundant food and moderate warmth favour larger broods.
Gestation lasts 19 to 21 days. After birth, a female can become fertile again within 24 hours, allowing successive litters throughout the breeding season. Under optimal laboratory conditions, a female may raise 5 to 10 litters annually, resulting in approximately 50 to 80 offspring per year. In temperate wild populations, seasonal constraints reduce the number of litters to 2 or 3 per year, yielding 10 to 30 young.
Key factors influencing reproductive output:
- Age: sexual maturity reached at 6 weeks; peak fertility between 2 and 5 months.
- Nutrition: high‑calorie diet increases both litter size and frequency.
- Photoperiod: longer daylight periods stimulate more frequent breeding cycles.
- Social environment: presence of dominant males can suppress estrus in subordinate females.
A study of laboratory‑bred Mus musculus reported: «Average litter size was 7.2 ± 1.1 pups, with a mean inter‑litter interval of 23 days». This data underscores the species’ capacity for rapid population expansion when conditions are favorable.