# Notched ears



## icedmice (Oct 4, 2009)

Three curious little mice were born at our mousery 4 months ago. Mice with notched ears!
Not from trauma, they ears just developed little notches. One had notched in both ears the others only had a single notch.


























I rebred the parents but the following generation had no notched ear mice.

I selected the best two notched ear mice and my doe (Double notched) is expecting shortly. So we're just to determine wheather it is inheritable or caused by a developmental issue.

Bizzare looking little creatures aren't they  .


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

I don't know anything about it, but that looks too cute!
Exciting to see how the new babies will look like o:


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## AnnB (Jan 14, 2011)

They remind me of that story of the cat with four ears http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -ears.html .


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Aww, that bottom pic in the group of three is sooooo cute!


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Looks like bite scars to me. I get them all the time in my ASFs.


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## icedmice (Oct 4, 2009)

They aren't bite scars. The ear lobes developed abnormally.
I've seen bite scars too and they do appear somewhat similar once they've healed. I've had these ones all their life, the notches seemed to develop as the mice ears grew. Doe showed no maternal agression, I usually notice small injuries around the rump/tail or scabs on the ears when a wound is fresh.
We aren't allowed ASF rats in Australia, we have one better.... Plains rats  .

The litter was aimed at developing type on black self mice. I have an agouti boy (Drambuie) with a very nice round and broad face (by Australian standards).
The notched ears only showed on agouti offspring the blacks were all normal.
I re-mated the original pair and second time around the litter was 100% normal. It doesn't rule out a mutation but it doesn't proove it either, hopefully a notched x notched mouse will give me a better idea of what's going on and how they came to have funky ear shape.

I've looked everywhere, best I can find is resources about congenital split/cleft ears. I recall the story about Yoda the cat, but to my understanding he has two seperate flaps one that sits behind the other.

Seems harmless enough, the mice are responsive to sound and behave normally. It might not be inheritable, could be the result of an enviornmental factor. 
The litter should still be nice though, the double notched doe isn't a bad example of where we are at with type in Australia. It's a start, nice clean looking animal, except for long guard hairs she's not too bad  .

Hope my girl pops soon, she looks like she swallowed a golf ball  . I was expecting the babies today, won't be long!


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

will be very interesting to see what occurs in the litters, however being open minded,I would not expect a mutation to occur in all of the litter, just one animal. It doesn't appear to be the normal nick in the ear though. It does however look like a mouse mouth sized bite out of the ears. I will GUESS thats the cause.I may be wrong, it will be interesting to see icedmouse


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## icedmice (Oct 4, 2009)

If I can't produce it again I'd be more inclined to think it was a developmental issue of some sort. Possibly something may have occoured while the foetus was developing?
I could be wrong maybe they are just nips but observation of the animals in the flesh doesn't appear so.

9 squeekers born this afternoon  . 
One still born  , very seldom get still borns with mice.


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

could well be, but all that stops me agreeing with you is its in more than one animal, but thats not a rule either. Also if they are mouth sized bites then it would also be unusuall that they are symetrical on one of the mice. Its a total dont know from me.


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## BlackCat99 (Jun 30, 2011)

We have a little buck that looks just like that! I wonder if it is a genetic thing as well! Can't wait for pictures!


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

hehe, they look like they have earrings! They could be little mouse pirates!


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## icedmice (Oct 4, 2009)

The outcome: It's not inheritable.

Bubbies do have rather nice type by Australian mouse standards  .

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.


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## mousie-lover86 (Sep 20, 2011)

awww they are too cute i love them and there little notches make them even cuter !!


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