also are athymic and immune deficient.) Mice with a targeted deletion in the FOXN1 ("knockout" mice) also show the "nude" phenotype. Since nude females have underdeveloped mammary glands and are unable to effectively nurse their young, nude males are bred with heterozygous females. Life span The life span of nude mice is normally 6 months to a year. In controlled, germ free environments and with antibiotic treatments found in many laboratories that routinely use nude mice, they can live almost as long as normal mice (18 months to two years). See also Skinny pig Earmouse References The Nude Mouse in Experimental and Clinical Research (Vol.1). Fogh, J; Giovanella, B.C.(eds) Academic Press, 1978, The Nude Mouse in Experimental and Clinical Research (Vol.2). Fogh, J; Giovanella, B.C.(eds) Academic Press, 1982, External links A nude mouse can accept tissue grafts from a variety of species Immunology mice