How many pups does a mouse have per year? - briefly
A house mouse typically produces 5–10 litters per year, each containing 5–6 pups, resulting in roughly 30–70 offspring annually.
How many pups does a mouse have per year? - in detail
A mouse reaches sexual maturity at 5–8 weeks and can breed throughout most of its lifespan. Gestation lasts about 19–21 days, after which a litter of newborns is born. The species typically produces multiple litters each year because the interval between weaning and the next conception is short, often 3–4 weeks.
Average litter size ranges from 5 to 8 pups, though extremes of 3 to 12 are recorded in laboratory and wild populations. Under optimal conditions—ample food, stable temperature, and low predation—female mice may produce:
- 5–6 litters per year in temperate climates
- Up to 8–9 litters per year in controlled indoor environments
Multiplying litter size by the number of litters gives an annual offspring count of roughly 30 to 70 pups per female. Variability depends on species (e.g., house mouse vs. deer mouse), geographic location, and resource availability.