A fancy mouse (Mus musculus domestica) is a domesticated form of the house mouse (Mus musculus), one of many mice species, usually kept as a type of pocket pet. Fancy mice have also been specially bred for exhibiting, with shows being held internationally. A pet mouse is inexpensive compared to larger pets, and even many other pet rodents, but mice are comparatively short-lived: typically only 2 to 3 years. Description The term fancy mouse is used to describe a mouse that has been selectively bred for exhibition. Wild-caught specimens that become docile and are bred for many generations still fall under the fancy type. Fancy mice can vary greatly in size, from small pet mice that are approximately long from nose to the proximal start of the tail, to show mice that measure nose to tail. Pet mice weigh about but large show mice can weigh up to . Varieties Artificial selection in fancy mice has created numerous available fur colours. These include colours like black, chocolate, blue, white, cream, lilac, red, fawn, champagne, cinnamon, golden agouti, silver agouti, silver, and dove. Depending on its colouration, a fancy mouse may have black or pink eyes. Fancy mice have also been bred to exhibit multiple kinds of markings. Which of these markings are standardized and what those standards are, can vary from club to club. While not a comprehensive list of fancy mouse patterns, some notable markings in fancy mice include even marked mice (white mice with even patches of colour), broken marked mice (white mice with uneven patches of colour), banded mice (coloured mice with a band of white around their midsection), rump white mice (coloured mice with a white rump), Hereford mice (coloured mice with completely white faces and a white marking on the underside, resembling Hereford cattle), and Dutch mice (white mice with a coloured rump and cheek patches, resembling a Dutch rabbit). Mice with completely coloured undersides may be referred to as tan mice (when the underside colouration is a rich orange colour) or fox mice (when the underside colouration is white or near white). Completely solid coloured mice are referred to as self mice. In addition to colouration, fancy mice exhibit multiple different coat types, referred to as varieties. Most fancy mice fall under the Standard variety, meaning that their coat is short, straight, smooth, and close to the body. However, some may be Satin mice