A litter of six White-footed mice was admitted to the Wildlife Hospital earlier this month after being orphaned. Unfortunately, the mother mouse was found electrocuted after chewing through a power cord.
The mice weighed in at 4 grams the day they were admitted. Imagine holding 4 paper-clips in your hand, this was just about what one of these babies weighed.
Eileen Hagerman, one of our mammal experts, began to hand feed the litter a milk replacer appropriate for fast growing mammals like White-footed mice. They required 24 hour care for the first 2 weeks of their life, going everywhere with Eileen.
Once they began to eat formula out of a tiny dish, their care was turned over to the staff and volunteers at the clinic. After 3 weeks they weaned onto solid foods eating fruits, vegetables, seeds and grains.
On May 19, 2010 they were released back to the wild to live out their lives. A very special thank you to Eileen Hagerman, and the volunteers who cared for these tiny little patients.
