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LuxTheSarcastic t1_jbgxl9t wrote

I guess mice are still mice even if they are endangered. Good for them!

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jeezy_peezy t1_jbh9mxs wrote

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

  • mouse that’s about to get some
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AndyGHK t1_jbitqmc wrote

The most important mouse in mouse history.

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forgedsignatures t1_jbimz2l wrote

Ecology and conservation student - In reality we know fuck all about a lot of interspecies relationships. Sometimes a byproduct or the knock on effects of a species existing in an area is the reason the rest of the animals in that area are flourishing (and are called keystone species), if that animal is removed the ecosystem falls apart and is forced to find some new functional equilibrium.

(This bit is off memory and it was a while ago we covered this unit - specifics like species may be off but the sentiments are right) A scientist called Bob Paine discovered keystone species in I want to say the 80s by walking down to a particular rock on a beach and tossing all the starfish into the water and monitoring the other species. As time went on, without the starfish the species they predated upon became populous and overbred and overconsumed the species below them leading to the local extinction (on that rock) of both themselves and their prey animal pretty much leaving only animals like barnacles (which subsist off of food particles in the water), their predators, and photosynising organisms were left on the rock.

In short the starfish correctly managed the species beneath them and stopped them becoming an issue without overpopulating themselves; in their absence the next highest predator took advantage and overindulged leading to the exctinction of 3 species on that rock rather than the seemingly insignificant 1. The keystone species isn't always the highest predator though, it can be one further down the food chain.

Video on the starfish rock that I am unable to watch where I currently am. https://youtu.be/hRGg5it5FMI

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PuckFutin69 t1_jbjhca0 wrote

This is why the massive krill die off followed by the bird flu has me very nervous.

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N00N3AT011 t1_jbhchjn wrote

Never would I imagine that somebody would have difficulty breeding mice.

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sewankambo t1_jbhhved wrote

Kinda makes you wonder if that's why it's endangered.

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I_beat_thespians t1_jbi03u4 wrote

From the article

>Threats to the tiny mouse include drought, loss of genetic diversity, and predation from feral cats and foxes.

>They play an important role in spreading seeds and fungal spores.

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HirsuteFruit t1_jbi90c2 wrote

>predation from feral cats

I still see comments from people denying this happens and saying it would be cruel to keep their cats indoor. At least on reddit, public sentiment seems to be swaying in the right direction.

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AchyBreaker t1_jbig1p1 wrote

Yeah cat people are weird about this.

Keep your fucking cats inside. It's good for the cats and SUPER good for the local fauna. If you insist on letting them out, get a leash or a backpack or build a catio. Birds and rodents and reptiles shouldn't suffer because you think your special baby deserves murder playtime.

Signed, a lifelong cat owner with a veterinarian spouse, with two cats now, a catio we built them to safely go outside, and an enclosed backpack that I use to take one of them on walkies because he is my special baby and likes to see new places but is not allowed to kill birds. If I can wrestle an 18lb Bengal mix into a backpack and lug his ass around mountains you can put fluffy in a bag too.

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ElGosso t1_jbinlim wrote

They should make those bags out of cardboard boxes so cats want to sit in them.

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Atiggerx33 t1_jbjldb3 wrote

We have a catio for our cat.

We used to have outdoor cats when I was a kid (not my choice and my mom didn't know better at the time, she is more environmentally aware now). We had 1 get hit by a car, 1 poisoned, and 1 beaten to death by some psycho (vet said the trauma was indicative of blunt force but not what would be expected if a car hit him) all in a period of two weeks and after years without incident.

Even if you don't care about the environment please keep your cats inside for their own sake.

Also, in many towns if your cat (or dog) has killed native wildlife the town is allowed to seize your pet and euthanize it or rehome it in addition to fining you. Just as you are held legally responsible for your pet attacking a person you can also be held legally responsible when they attack a non-pet animal. As an example robins are protected under the Migratory Bird Protection Act, killing robins can apparently result in a fine of up to $15,000 and up to 2 years in prison. I doubt a judge would throw the book at you for your cat killing a robin, but they'd be well within their rights to fine you $500; as an acquaintance of mine discovered when his cat killed a robin at his neighbor's bird feeder and the neighbor caught it on camera and reported it. The cat was not euthanized, but they were told any future reports would result in the cat being seized and then either killed or rehomed depending on a behavioral evaluation.

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---ShineyHiney--- t1_jbiy0rr wrote

Holy hell

I agree with everything you said, and could not disagree more with everything you said to say it

Wtf, dude

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AchyBreaker t1_jbomh3l wrote

I don't understand what this means. You don't like the way I explained it? You think it's bad that I said fuck on the internet? You think the phrase murder playtime is bad?

Help me understand as I am legitimately confused

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Prettynoises t1_jbiguyx wrote

>feral cats

Feral cats are cats that can no longer be tamed. If a cat is not socialized during kittenhood they have little chance of being friendly towards humans/other cats later on. The only other option besides leaving them outdoors to do their thing is to put them to sleep. This is why TNR operations are so important, and if you ever see any stray cat, report it to a local rescue and check if it's ear is clipped. A clipped ear means it has already been fixed and re-released.

Also, cats can get pregnant as early as 3-4 months old, so it's important to get them spayed/neutered asap (which usually can't happen until about 6 months old I believe) and to not let cats back outdoors if you know they are not fixed (for instance if you happen to see a momma cat with kittens out in the "wild," catching them and turning them into a rescue (or fostering them yourself) is crucial to preventing more feral cats)

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Tiny_Rat t1_jbiiqk2 wrote

It's not entirely true that feral cats can't be acclimated to living indoors or with other cats, but it's not easy to do. My in-laws adopted a feral cat (didn't realize it was feral when they got it), which promptly ran away. However, it stayed in the neighborhood, so they started leaving food out for it, and slowly moved the food closer to the door until the cat would come inside to get fed. Then the cat started to at least occasionally hang out inside, at first when they and their dogs were out, and eventually even with them around. This winter it's been really cold and rainy, and the feral cat is getting older, so it more or less decided to become a mostly indoor cat, and seems fine around them, their dogs, and their other (indoor only) cat. It would probably throw a fit if it couldn't go out on demand; it still runs off when strangers come to visit, especially strange dogs; and it's definitely not a cuddly, pettable sort of cat. However, it does spend a lot more time indoors by the fire than I thought a feral cat ever would!

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Prettynoises t1_jbijd9x wrote

My cat is a barn cat (kinda somewhere between a house cat and a feral cat, I found him outdoors as a young cat and despite being neutered still doesn't get along with other cats, but is also super sweet and cuddly to me and other humans he likes) and I still struggle to keep him indoors. I've only recently started keeping him indoors 24/7 (and I've had him for 2 years now), and there's even rats in the basement for him to catch and eat, and he still isn't happy with it. I'm worried for him because I'm about to move into a one bedroom apartment that's no more than 600 square ft, and right next to a busy road, so even with his leash I am not sure if I'll be able to take him outdoors.

If you've got any tips on how to keep a previously outdoor cat happy inside, I'm all for it. He doesn't like playing with cat toys, lasers, strings, moving toys, really nothing that isn't alive can keep his attention which makes it difficult.

Realistically I know he'd be happiest as a barn cat keeping critters away from food, but he also has separation anxiety and needs to check on me every few hours, so I don't know that he'd be any happier if I gave him away.

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jazzypants t1_jbil8sr wrote

I don't have any ideas or advice. I just wanted to say that it is really sweet how much you obviously care about the cat. This is really difficult. I hate that we can't just talk to them and ask what they want. I had to make a similar decision years ago, and I still wonder if made the right choice.

Good luck.

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whoami_whereami t1_jbilq16 wrote

The breeding program just started in June last year, and they're already having twenty pups and thinking about releasing some of them back into the wild. Doesn't really sound like "difficult", it's just the first time because noone ever tried breeding them before.

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SoulSearchingRaven t1_jbgpruw wrote

Cutie 😊, mice are cute (in my opinion)

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mentalraven t1_jbgrqr3 wrote

Agreed fellow raven. Agreed

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SoulSearchingRaven t1_jbgvl3r wrote

Hello there fellow raven, what’s the latest gossip in your flock may I ask?

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scarlettohara1936 t1_jbgw8zp wrote

Ravens don't have flocks,..... They have a murder.

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vandriver t1_jbgzieh wrote

I thought it was an unkindness of Ravens,and a murder of crows.

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scarlettohara1936 t1_jbh1etm wrote

You're right about the crowd, I get them confused. I can only assume you're right about the ravens as idk for sure.

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throwawaygaming989 t1_jbh2iwo wrote

A flock of ravens is indeed called an unkindness, but they are mostly solitary.

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WesternOne9990 t1_jbioruy wrote

Any bird that congregates together can be called a flock at the time of congregation.

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Sariel007 OP t1_jbgsu0a wrote

>mice are cute

I don't want to see wild mice in my house, but other than that I would generally agree with you :)

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BMB281 t1_jbgupuq wrote

Hear me out though, what if they brought you coins and trinkets, like ravens

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Sariel007 OP t1_jbh6201 wrote

As long as they poop/pee outside and only take what they are given I'm open to the idea.

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NockerJoe t1_jbh7fri wrote

They don't though. And my city has had an explosion in the local population so I'm gonna double down on the "fuck wild mice in peoples living spaces" talk.

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wolfie379 t1_jbhfr11 wrote

But do you need to wrap them in duct tape the same way you’d do with a hamster?

0

ResplendentShade t1_jbht6qm wrote

Agreed, they're absolutely adorable. I've also lived in a house with a mouse infestation and the smell of their poop really sucks to live with... but the mice themselves? Supreme cuties.

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rockmodenick t1_jbig81b wrote

I have five pet mice, they're very cute.

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SoulSearchingRaven t1_jbiji5l wrote

Good for you. 😌 it must be fun having them.

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rockmodenick t1_jbike7u wrote

They're wonderful, I smile every time I look at them

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SoulSearchingRaven t1_jbir45n wrote

If they so bad? Why their nose so boopable? If they bad? Why friend shaped?

☺️

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rockmodenick t1_jbmk7e9 wrote

I live in peace with the wild mice in the apartment. I don't leave any mess out they could eat, the pantry is mouse proof, and I even leave it a bottle of water so they don't have to risk drinking dirty bathroom and kitchen spill water. In return they don't peepee on my stuff in the closet. I feel it's fair.

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Automationdomination t1_jbhfba6 wrote

if the nest is squeekin don't come a peekin

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GingerGoob t1_jbhp79k wrote

The headline had me thinking there were baby mice squeaking and your comment set me straight 😂

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spacebyte t1_jbies4p wrote

100% it’ll be the babies 😂 if you’re keeping a pet mouse or hamster or something and she’s pregnant, it’s common to hear the babies before you see them. They don’t like people disturbing the nest. So hearing the squeaks is something people breeding say about it, meaning babies are alive in the nest.

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Johnny_Carcinogenic t1_jbi5zji wrote

The facility is in the back of a '70s Ford van with Frank Frazetta airbrush art on the side.

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Watchful1 t1_jbh6udo wrote

I initially read that as moose and clicked on the article to see if they had a video clip of tiny moose squeaks.

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GhostBurger12 t1_jbhrlzs wrote

No no, Moose are big, it is North American House Hippos that are small.

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Troodon79 t1_jbib79m wrote

Always check your old socks and dust bunnies for House Hippo nests!

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HippoBot9000 t1_jbib7zh wrote

HIPPOBOT 9000 v 3.1 FOUND A HIPPO. 79,141,326 COMMENTS SEARCHED. 1,772 HIPPOS FOUND. YOUR COMMENT CONTAINS THE WORD HIPPO.

1

ZahraAlchemy t1_jbiprdb wrote

I read that as moose too and was so confused as to why a baby moose would squeak.

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Forkmealready t1_jbhbkz6 wrote

Cool. Now do it with dinosaurs you cowards

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ZappyKins t1_jbhx4cb wrote

(Raises fist to the sky and shakes aggressively!)

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stormearthfire t1_jbi1b12 wrote

oh hey .... I have seen this one.. it's a classic

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ColdPuffin t1_jbjfurw wrote

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”

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biopticstream t1_jbhi4u2 wrote

Yesss, it's always so great to hear some positive news about endangered species! 🙌🏼 Props to everyone involved in this program for making such a big impact in such a short amount of time. It's so sad that the Pookila mouse is in such a dire situation, but projects like this give me hope that we can do something about it.

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longlivelondinium t1_jbh91i7 wrote

This is the cutest reddit title. Woo-hoo for endangered mice! :,)

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TipsySally t1_jbho4b0 wrote

If the mice are going extinct, then the rest of us species are fucked.

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Azure_Crystals t1_jcay8mf wrote

Well, mice are actually not going extinct. This was just an endangered mouse species that is currently being saved

There are thousands of species of mice and rats, almost all of them of least concern, most rodents are of least concern actually.

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dgblarge t1_jbhgavo wrote

Loud roars would have been scary. Thankfully it was just tiny squeaks.

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Redqueenhypo t1_jbhh4q5 wrote

Mice are very bad at math because for them, 1+1=8

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Korbelious t1_jbi3r4x wrote

Really?! No one in this thread is immature enough to point out the mouse species in this article is called Pookila... as in poo-killa??? Guess I'll be the one... That shit is hilarious! Im no zoologist, but Poo-killa mice sound like a pretty important species to me!

Man, I didn't think I could ever be so disappointed in people not being more immature

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Reeblo_McScreeblo t1_jbi8r93 wrote

Squeaks are an underrated sound when they come from an animal

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1

BoleteD t1_jbhsgo1 wrote

Wont predators find these mice more easily? If it peeps—it sleeps. :/

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WorldsGreatestPoop t1_jbi61ag wrote

I didn’t know Australia has native placental mammals besides bats.

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toddhenderson t1_jbi9fa9 wrote

Wait... Danger Mouse is breeding in captivity?

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Poneke365 t1_jbirvv7 wrote

That is so sweet 🐭

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Mutherfunker70 t1_jbivatv wrote

I just really don't get how anyone over the age of 10 can be scared of a small mouse. Get a grip

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Schalaster t1_jbizs6p wrote

I misread it at first as 'Thrilling success of breeding has endangered mouse in captivity', wondering why breeding would endanger them

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phoonie98 t1_jbjsw6o wrote

Do you want mice? Because that’s how you get mice

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chester-hottie-9999 t1_jbiesmq wrote

Just throw those fuckers into my walls and you’ll have a million in no time. Won’t be able to throw em to the hawks fast enough.

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meloaf t1_jbhh95i wrote

Scientists must be overwhelmed at the news. Now they have even more animals to conduct tests on.

−9

Sonyguyus t1_jbheoo4 wrote

Because mice are so rare in the wild, homes, businesses, and farms.

−27

Revenge_of_the_User t1_jbhgfms wrote

...you......you understand that there are more varieties of mouse than just the household pest, right?

And....that these mice fill an ecological niche in their respective environments......right??????

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delegateTHIS t1_jbi6529 wrote

There are plants that only survive natural disasters (fires, droughts etc) because of rodent nests. An abandoned burrow can preserve seeds for a long time.

Mice suck in cities and farms tho.

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Sonyguyus t1_jbhh6st wrote

Nope. They’re all food for something larger and they are invasive no matter what species.

−24

Smrgling t1_jbhkkqn wrote

Every invasive species is native to somewhere so they can't all be invasive species

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Sonyguyus t1_jbi2zg1 wrote

Yes but who said they didn’t cause a problem in their homeland? Mice all breed fast, eat just about anything, and can invade homes. I see no benefit of one mouse to another type.

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Smrgling t1_jbjqu5r wrote

They generally don't cause problems where they're from because they're kept in check by predators (for example, owls)

1