How much does an adult mouse weigh? - briefly
An adult laboratory mouse usually weighs 20–30 g. Weight depends on strain, sex, and age.
How much does an adult mouse weigh? - in detail
Adult mice typically weigh between 15 g and 30 g (0.5–1.1 oz). The exact mass depends on several variables:
- Strain: Laboratory strains such as C57BL/6 average 20–25 g, while BALB/c mice are slightly lighter (18–22 g). Wild house mice (Mus musculus) range from 12 g to 30 g, reflecting environmental pressures.
- Sex: Males are generally 2–5 g heavier than females of the same strain.
- Age: Fully mature individuals reach peak weight at 8–12 weeks; younger juveniles are markedly lighter, and senescent mice may lose mass.
- Diet and health: High‑calorie chow, obesity‑prone genetics, or disease states (e.g., tumor burden) can increase body weight, whereas malnutrition or chronic illness reduces it.
Weight measurement is performed with analytical balances capable of 0.01 g resolution. Standard protocol includes:
- Acclimating the animal to a holding container for a few minutes.
- Placing the container on the balance, recording the combined mass.
- Subtracting the container’s tare weight to obtain the mouse’s mass.
Conversion: 1 g ≈ 0.035 oz; thus a 22‑g mouse equals roughly 0.78 oz.
When comparing data across studies, researchers report mean weight ± standard deviation, specify strain, sex, and age to ensure reproducibility.