What is the scientific name for a mouse? - briefly
The common house mouse is scientifically designated Mus musculus. This binomial name applies to the species most frequently encountered in laboratories and domestic settings.
What is the scientific name for a mouse? - in detail
The species commonly referred to as a mouse bears the Latin binomial Mus musculus. The name follows the conventions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, with the genus Mus designating the group of true mice and the specific epithet musculus meaning “little mouse” in Latin. Carl Linnaeus first described the taxon in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae (1758).
Taxonomic placement is as follows:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Muridae
- Genus: Mus
- Species: M. musculus
Within the species, several subspecies are recognized, the most frequently cited being:
- M. m. domesticus – the common laboratory mouse, adapted to human environments.
- M. m. musculus – the European wild house mouse, found in natural habitats across Eurasia.
- M. m. castaneus – the Southeast Asian subspecies, distinguished by coat coloration and genetic markers.
Historical synonyms include Mus domesticus and Mus sylvaticus, although modern taxonomy consolidates these under Mus musculus with subspecific differentiation.
The organism serves as a primary model in biomedical research. Its genome was fully sequenced in 2002, providing a reference for genetic manipulation, disease modeling, and pharmacological testing. Standard laboratory strains—such as C57BL/6, BALB/c, and DBA/2—derive from the domesticus subspecies and are cataloged with precise genetic backgrounds.
Nomenclatural authority rests on Linnaean description; any revision must adhere to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) rules, ensuring stability and universality of the name across scientific literature.