The African Pygmy Mouse, Mus minutoides, is counted among the world’s smallest mammals. Adults can weigh from 3-12 g. Being social creatures, they will live in colonies preferably around water in grassy areas. They are able to mate at six to eight weeks of age. Lifespan vary between 1 and 3 years. These very active rodents, widely spread across sub Saharan Africa, called Èkúté in Yoruba, are kept as pets in some parts of the world. There have been recent isolations of Lassa virus from Nigerian rodents of the wild, which causes the Lassa fever, an acute viral illness that occurs in West Africa.
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