The mice and keyboards that came with computers in the 1980s used an RS-232 serial port connection. These are useless. Old Apple USB keyboards work fine on current Macs. If you have an older Apple keyboard or mouse with a round plug (Apple Desktop Bus), you can get an ADB-to-USB converter, but it is probably not worth the bother. Join the Little Mouse in her journey to explore the fascinating world of nature! Together you will learn about countless species of animals and plants in their natural habitats while feasting your eyes on a set of charmingly painted forests, waters and gardens. discover over 160 species of animals and plants in 4 different habitats.

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Mouse, (genus Mus), the common name generally but imprecisely applied to rodents found throughout the world with bodies less than about 12 cm (5 inches) long. In a scientific context, mouse refers to any of the 38 species in the genusMus, which is the Latin word for mouse. The house mouse (Mus musculus), native to Central Asia, has established itself with human populations in many other parts of the world.

All rodents with a mouselike or ratlike body, regardless of body size or diagnostic traits, were described as species of Mus between 1758 and the late 1800s. Subsequent study shifted most of those species into many different groups, leaving Mus as a smaller, clearly defined genus with a particular combination of traits. Within the genus there are four distinctive groups: spiny mice (subgenus Pyromys), shrew-mice (subgenus Coelomys), rice field mice and the house mouse (subgenus Mus), and African mice (subgenus Nannomys).

General features

Mice have a slender body, blunt or tapered muzzle, scantily haired, prominent ears, narrow hind feet with bald soles, and sharp, small claws. The thinly furred tail appears hairless; it may be about as long as the head and body, or it can be much shorter. One of the largest is the flat-haired mouse (M. platythrix) of peninsular India, weighing about 18 grams (0.6 ounce), with a body 10 to 12 cm (4 to 4.7 inches) long and a shorter tail (7 to 8 cm [2.8 to 3.1 inches]). The smallest is probably the pygmy mouse (M. minutoides) of sub-Saharan Africa, weighing 3 to 12 grams (0.11 to 0.42 ounce), with a body 6 to 8 cm (2.3 to 3.1 inches) long and a short tail of 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.3 inches).

There is considerable variation in fur texture and colour among the species of Mus. At one extreme are the spiny-furred species in the subgenus Pyromys, whose upperparts and undersides are covered with flat, channeled spines nestled in soft underfur (juveniles are not spiny). At the other extreme are the shrew-mice from Sumatra (M. crociduroides) and Java (M. vulcani), whose soft, short, and dense coat appears woolly or velvety. All the other species have a soft or slightly coarse, moderately thick coat with short or long hairs. A colour combination common to many mice is gray to brown upperparts, white underparts, white feet, and a tail that is dark above and white below. Variations of this pattern include upperparts of buff, bluish gray, blackish gray, reddish brown, or chocolate brown, with underparts ranging from white to various shades of gray, sometimes tinged with silver or buff. The feet may be white or the same colour as the upperparts, and the tail may be bicoloured or uniformly dark gray to dark brown.

Natural history

Mice in their natural habitats are primarily nocturnal, although some will occasionally forage during the day. They are ground dwellers, although some species are also agile climbers and leapers as well as capable swimmers. A few are specialized burrowers rarely seen above ground. Most species, especially those living in savannas and grasslands, excavate burrows and chambers in which they build globular nests of dry vegetation. In an intact ecosystem, species of Mus, along with other small-bodied rodents, are preyed upon, sometimes to an appreciable degree, by reptiles, mammals, and birds (especially owls).

The simple but effective excavation technique of mice is exemplified by the Ryukyu mouse (M. caroli). This mouse loosens soil with its incisor teeth, carrying a load of debris in its mouth and piling it outside the burrow entrance or sometimes stacking loose soil inside the burrow and then pushing the pile out with its hind feet. In the diked rice fields of Thailand, small piles of soil below holes in the dike signal the presence of Ryukyu mice. Each hole is the opening to a tunnel extending upward to a nest chamber above water level, then to another opening on the other side of the dike. Forest species may also burrow, but most of them construct nests in rock crevices or beneath rotting tree trunks and brush piles on the forest floor. The gray-bellied pygmy mouse (M. triton) of sub-Saharan Africa, for example, apparently does not burrow but uses pathways made by larger rodents.

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Diet varies among species. Outdoors the house mouse consumes seeds and insects; indoors it eats nearly anything digestible. Most other species eat a combination of plant parts (especially seeds), insects, and other invertebrates. Stomachs of gray-bellied pygmy mice caught in East Africa, for example, contained plant parts, pieces of bark, insects (mostly adult beetles), and worms.

Depending upon the species and geographic region, mice may breed throughout the year or only during the wet seasons in southern latitudes and from spring to fall in northern latitudes. Except for the house mouse, which can produce up to 14 litters per year (1 to 12 offspring per litter), there is little information about the reproductive biology of most species. In the deserts of India, the little Indian field mouse (M. booduga) bears from 1 to 13 young per litter and breeds throughout the year. In Southeast Asia, the fawn-coloured mouse (M. cervicolor) has been reported to produce litters of two to six young in July and December. In East Africa, the pygmy mouse breeds during the wet seasons from April to June and September to December and bear litters of two to eight young.

Your device isn't recognised by your Mac

Follow these steps if your mouse, keyboard or trackpad isn't recognised by your Mac.

Make sure your wireless mouse, keyboard or trackpad is turned on

The Magic Mouse and Magic Mouse 2 have a slide switch on the bottom of the device. Slide the switch to turn on the device. On the Magic Mouse, the green LED lights up briefly. On the Magic Mouse 2, green colouring is visible beneath the switch.

The Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, and Magic Trackpad 2 have a slide switch on the back edge of the device. Slide the switch to turn on the device (green colouring becomes visible). Earlier Apple Wireless Keyboard models have a power button on the right-hand side of the device. Press the button and you can see a green LED on top of the device, near the button.

When you turn these devices on, they appear as connected in Bluetooth preferences and in the Bluetooth menu in your menu bar. If a device doesn't appear there, make sure it's charged or replace it batteries, and make sure it's been paired with your Mac.

Make sure your device has been set up to work with your Mac

Find out how to pair your Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Magic Trackpad 2 and earlier models of Apple wireless devices with your Mac.

Make sure Bluetooth is turned on

Use your Mac notebook's built-in trackpad or a USB mouse to choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Bluetooth. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on.

Refer to the table below for more information on determining the Bluetooth status. If the Bluetooth icon doesn't appear or if the menu bar status continues to indicate that Bluetooth is off, restart your computer and try turning Bluetooth on again.

Make sure your devices are charged

Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2 have built-in rechargeable batteries. You can charge these devices by connecting them to a Mac or a USB power adapter using a Lightning to USB Cable. For the fastest battery charging performance, make sure your device is switched on when connected to the Lightning to USB Cable.

To check the battery level of these devices, click the Bluetooth icon in your Mac's menu bar, then select your device by name. If the battery level of any device is low, recharge the device. If the device isn’t showing, make sure the device is turned on using the steps outlined above.

Turn the device off and on

If your Apple wireless mouse, keyboard or trackpad isn't recognised by your Mac after following the tips above, try turning the wireless device off, waiting a few seconds, then turning it back on.

Your mouse or keyboard intermittently stops responding

• Click the mouse or trackpad or press a key on the keyboard to reconnect the device to the computer. It might take a moment for the device to respond.
• Check for wireless interference.

Your mouse doesn't scroll up or down or side to side

If you can't use your mouse to scroll through a web page or document, make sure you're using the correct Multi-Touch gestures and have set up your scrolling speed preferences correctly.

Your mouse or trackpad doesn't track as expected

Apple Wireless Mouse, Magic Mouse and Magic Mouse 2 can be used on most smooth surfaces. If tracking issues occur, try these options:

• Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Mouse. Set the ”Tracking speed” slider to adjust how fast the pointer moves as you move the mouse.
• Try using a different surface to see if tracking improves.
• Turn the mouse over and inspect the sensor window. Use compressed air to gently clean the sensor window if dust or debris is present.
• If multiple Bluetooth wireless devices are in use nearby, try turning them off one at a time to see if the issue improves.

Find out more about what to do if your trackpad isn't tracking correctly.

Your keyboard has one or more keys that don't respond

Use the Keyboard Viewer to test whether the keyboard keys are responding correctly when they are pressed.

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1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Keyboard.
2. Click the Input Sources tab.
3. Make sure the keyboard language you use is listed on the left-hand side. If it's not, click the add button (+) and choose from the languages that appear.
4. Select the ”Show Input menu in menu bar” tickbox.
5. Click the Keyboard tab, then select the ”Show keyboard and emoji viewers in menu bar” tickbox, if present.
6. From the Input menu in the menu bar, choose Show Keyboard Viewer. The Keyboard Viewer showing the keyboard layout appears on your display.
7. Type the key on the keyboard that doesn’t respond and see if the corresponding key is highlighted on the Keyboard Viewer. If it does, that key is functioning correctly.

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If you enable the Mouse Keys feature, some keys might not respond as you expect. To turn off Mouse keys, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Accessibility. Choose Mouse & Trackpad from the list on the left-hand side, then deselect the Enable Mouse Keys tickbox.