The Western House Mouse

Mus musculus domesticus

House mice (Mus musculus) originated in the area of the Iranian plateau as far as northern India. The species originated there about 500,000 years ago.  
Following human settlement, the house mouse came to Europe and Asia by different routes. By adapting to the different environments, three subspecies have evolved over the last millennia: the western, the eastern and the Asian house mouse. The western house mouse has lived near humans for about 11,000 years and had to be able to adapt constantly and quickly to changing environments. Here are examples of three populations of the western house mouse.