Dooli

The dooli, or house mouse (scientific name: Mus musculus), is a small mammal belonging to the rodent family. It has a short body, round ears, large dark eyes, and a long tail with sparse hair. Its color ranges from grey to dark brown, with a lighter belly.

The dooli is among the most widespread species in the world. It has spread to every place where humans live, as it depends on houses, warehouses, and food storage areas. For this reason it is known as a 'commensal' species—one that benefits from the environments humans create.

Appearance and size

The body of an ordinary dooli reaches several centimeters in length, and the tail is roughly as long as the body. It is extremely light in weight. The front teeth (incisors) grow continuously, so the dooli must gnaw on hard objects constantly to keep its teeth worn down. It also has whiskers (sensory hairs) that help it navigate in darkness, since its eyesight is poor.

Behavior and diet

The dooli is mostly active at night. It eats various foods: seeds, grain, wheat, rice, and human food scraps. It builds nests from paper, cloth, and straw, usually in wall cavities or hidden places. It lives in groups, with a social hierarchy among males.

Reproduction

The dooli reproduces rapidly. The female can give birth several times a year, with large litters each time. The young are born blind and hairless, but after several weeks they can fend for themselves. For this reason, dooli populations can increase quickly when food and shelter are available.

Relationship with humans

The dooli causes damage to stored food, paper, electrical wiring, and clothing. It can also carry germs and certain diseases. For this reason, houses use traps, poison, and preventive measures to control dooli infestations. On the other hand, a domesticated strain of dooli (the laboratory mouse) is widely used in health and genetic research, since its genetic makeup shares much in common with that of humans.