CIBED - - House Mouse

Mus musculus House Mouse Kiore ^RR

f.MURIDAE Rats & Mice

Mus musculus House Mouse Kiore ^RR

f.MURIDAE Rats & Mice

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesHouse Mouse ^EN Linne's House Mouse ^EN Mouse ^EN Hausmaus ^DE

Local NamesKiore^{RR,AT,MK,MT,AK} P,?N^TNs,TNw

Pacific Names‘Iole / ‘Iole Li‘ili‘i ^HAW

Sci. NamesMus musculus (accepted name) , Mus domesticus

High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Vertebrates, c.Mammals, f.Rats & Mice - Mammal

High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.CHORDATA, sp.GNATHOSTOMATA, spc.TETRAPODA, c.MAMMALIA, sc.THERIA, ic.EUTHERIA, o.Rodentia, f.MURIDAE

Natl. PresencePresent

Sth. PresenceRR⁺⁺⁺MG?AT⁺MK^-MT?AK⁺PL?MN^-TK^-

Nth. PresenceTN^P?MH?RK?PK?NS?SW^-

VouchersAK¹⁹⁹⁴

Local OriginIntroduced; Recent; Naturalised

Global RangeNative: western Europe (southern Denmark to Black Sea); Introduced: global;

HabitatLand

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessInvasive; Agriculture - serious, Domestic; as a herbivore

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesNo Content

IdentificationNo Content

Similar SpeciesMus musculus (Linne's House Mouse) is the usual name providemore...d for the common house mouse, and is the common laboratory mouse. However it is now recognised that Linne's Mouse is the mouse of northern Europe, while Mus domesticus is the house mouse of central Europe. It is likely that the latter species was introduced on ships into the Pacific. Until more genetic information we will continue to refer our mouse to Mus musculus.

Interest NoteNo Content

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

House Mouse ^EN Linne's House Mouse^EN Mouse^EN Hausmaus^DE

Pacific Names

‘Iole / ‘Iole Li‘ili‘i ^HAW ['rat' / 'little-rat']

Local Names

Kiore^{RR,AT,MK,MT,AK} P,?N^TNs,TNw

National Name: Kiore ^RR

Notes: The name Kiore is widely used to denote any mouse or rat.

Island	Status	Main name
National name	RR	Kiore
Rarotonga	+++	Kiore
Mangaia		?P,?N
Ātiu	+	Kiore
Ma‘uke	-	Kiore
Miti‘āro		Kiore
Aitutaki	+	Kiore
Palmerston		?P,?N
Tongareva-write	P?	P,?N
Tongareva-speak	P?	P,?N
Manihiki		?P,?N
Rakahanga		?P,?N
Pukapuka		?P,?N
Nassau		?P,?N

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

Absent

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	+++
Mangaia
Ātiu	+
Ma‘uke	Absent
Miti‘āro
Aitutaki	+
Palmerston
Manuae	Absent
Takūtea	Absent
Tongareva	Present ?
Manihiki
Rakahanga
Pukapuka
Nassau
Suwarrow	Absent

Vouchers for:
Mus musculus

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga

Mangaia

Ātiu

Ma‘uke

Miti‘āro

Aitutaki _____ 1994 1cs specimen 1994, 1 specimen vs 27 Rattus exulans G.McCormack and Ed Saul with ID as Mus musculus.

Palmerston

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka

Nassau

Suwarrow

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

no data available

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

no data available

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.03.23 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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Cook Islands Status Summary

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Pacific Names

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

Accepted Name

Synonyms

National Distribution & Vouchers

Vouchers for:
Mus musculus

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

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Cook Islands Status Summary

Multimedia & Other Resources

Vernacular Names

Accepted Name

Synonyms

Vouchers for: Mus musculus

Citation Information

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Vouchers for:
Mus musculus