Zebra Mice Environment

A tank is a good setup for a Zebra mouse environment since plastic will only be chewed. For a pair, work with a minimum tank size of three foot by one foot width, making full use of both width and height of the habitat. Some branches and perches intended for parrots can be laid on their side to provide climbing opportunities; natural wood accessories usually sold for lizards are also good. Sisal rope can be strung across the habitat, wooden ladders and hammocks are useful too. Plenty of climbing material and multiple nest are a must.

If you are getting your own branches from the woods for a Zebra mouse setup, check you are using safe woods for rodents. You also need to collect from an area without pesticides that is not close to the roadside as exhaust fumes make wood poisonous to rodents.

A Zebra mouse environment needs adequate ventilation such as a wire mesh lid with the cage placed in a shaded area of your house. Although Zebra mice do not seem to enjoy burrowing a great deal, a good layer of bedding is useful with a layer of hay for making small nests with. Hay is ideal for chewing since it aids their digestion. See the section on enrichment for other ideas for your Zebra mouse habitat.

A small solid wheel can be used for Zebra mice to exercise, although make sure that this is the medium size silent spinner - the smaller version is only suitable for some species of dwarf hamsters. Wheels need to be solid-based to prevent fragile tails getting trapped.

Like many exotic rodents, Zebra mice benefit from a setup with natural enrichment that matches their habitat in the wild as much as possible. Having a natural setup not only looks attractive, but will help keep your Zebra mice happy.