babies? BABIES?!? How the heck.....

back in august I posted a thread of a fancy mouse I bought as a pet that we named Ginger. Sometime in late Sept. I purchased a second fancy mouse we named Roxanne. Both mice were purchased shortly after they were weaned.

Well, last night, I'm cleaning the cage and I go to take apart their house (its a throw away food storage container, but they love it) and I hear squeaking. I'm thinking I'm not hearing right and go to open the box and I hear it again. so I stop and hold the container over my head and what do I see,..... pinkies!! I think that there are only four, but we'll see if there are more. So now I'm wondering if either a) I purchased an already preggo Roxanne or b) she is actually a Rocky. This would not have happened if I was trying to breed them on purpose!

So, needless to say, I quickly cleaned their cage, put everything and everyone back and have left them alone. But here is a pic of the babies....

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3640.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3642.jpg

will try to get a pic of both mice and better pics of the babies. :D its kind of exciting..

Wow! Are you definately sure that your second addition was female?
If so: maybe retained sperm from before?

congrats. remember, mice can be very finicky so it's best to leave them completely alone (pic and touching wise) for a few days.

Lots of snakey food Congrats :P

Jenn.. Mice can retain sperm? O.o if so, that would have explained it. But as it is, when I was adding more food for them, Roxanne/Rocky was out and I quickly scooped it up to see and well, yep. its Rocky now. Guess was purchased young enough to not be able to make a definite sex purchase. But its all good for now.

Aleesha.. yeah, I panicked at first, cause I was trying to open the box to clean house when I realized there were babies in their. Luckily, they are used to me constantlly being in their house, so it wasn't too shocking for them, but yeah I have left them alone since the discovery. I only opened to put more food in.

Joe.. heh, actually those were the first words out of my mouth after.. huh? babies?

well, here are a few pics. first one is the parents. ginger is on the right, Rocky is on the left
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3735.jpg

and this is rocky, well, from behind at least :D
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3729.jpg

I will admit that the sperm-retention theory, is not something that I am sure if it can happen or not. But I am glad that you solved your mystery!

well, an update, the babies are about 2 weeks old and there definitely are four of them. I cleaned their cage today and opened the box to clean their little house and to peak at the babies (I couldn't help myself :D ). There is a runt in the litter and its white with light blonde areas. Two are dark grey/black with white, and one looks just like Ginger, the mom.

I picked up all four at the same time so that they all would smell like me when I put them back, but since my hand is always in the cage to feed/water and spot clean I'm not too worried about them killing their babies at this point. The larger sized babies I think are satins because their fur is so short and it has a glowing sheen to it, the runt I'm still not sure of. anywhoo enough rambling. enjoy the pics. more will come as they grow. :banana:

sorry so blurry was trying to be fast. but you get the size differ. and colors. :D
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3818.jpg

the runt is direct center of the photo! and the one that looks like mom is hiding under the bedding, its tail is sticking out between the two dark ones.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3819.jpg

They have some neat coloration! I like the white/marmaladey ones the best.

yeah me too.. thats the runt. one of the black/grey ones has a stripe down the side of its one face going across its eye, almost looking like a scar. If any of them are keepers it may get that name. For now though, they are future food. Im sure my son may have something to say about that, we'll see what happens.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Yeah...Rocky definitely looks like he's "packing" ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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o.O did the cute bug bite you?:giggle:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AzureN1ght

Yeah...Rocky definitely looks like he's "packing" ;)

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yep he is but he's being a good daddy. he helps Ginger

well quick update on the babies.. the runt is gone. not sure when it happened as I was leaving them alone except to change the food dish and check the water. :( I'm sad as I really liked its coloring, mostly white with golden brown marbling. but the size difference between it and its litter mates as very drastic. I guess mom and mother nature know better. but the other three are doing great, big and fat and starting to open their eyes. They should be wandering out of the house into the tank soon. will take pics when they do.

mom usually does know best.

how are they now?

per Aleesha's question, the remaining three are doing great. they have started crawling all over the tank, but I dont know if they have started sampling the grownup food yet. I still see them occassionally nursing on mom still (who is preggo's again). will try to get pics and post them.

thanks for the update! ;)

Your welcome Aleesha. here are a few more photos from tonight. enjoy everyone.

all three. they were so cute just laying together in my hand.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3904.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3905.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3906.jpg

close up of the one. I like the blaze across its face.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3890.jpg

blaze running in the wheel
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3887.jpg

solid black sibling (well it has a small stipling of white) in the food dish
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3888.jpg

and momma preggo's again
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...s/100_3893.jpg

oh i loooove the long haired beige one!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ladydragon

and momma preggo's again

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Better separate her from Rocky (& any other males... & while your at it, make sure you properly sex the young ones or you will have other preggo's mousie-mommas)

If you don't separate the females from the males you will continue to have a litter every 3 weeks or so for each female until their system gives out. Back to back pregnancies greatly reduce the lifespan.

Beautiful colors on those babies. I love the color variations on mice but as far as small fuzzy critters I stick with rats. Only time they are nippy is if they don't want you messing with babies, other than that they welcome your touch.

yeah I know.. I've seperated Rocky from ginger and put his sons in with him... leaving all the girls together. now after this last litter is born she'll get a well deserved rest. I just hope that I've sexed all the younguns correctly so there are no surprises. will post pics of the last litter when they are fuzzied up. :D