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In this episode of A Carnival of Animals, Katherine Rundell explores the mouse - a creature often overlooked, but surprisingly powerful. From a seventeenth-century Frenchman who could swallow metal but struggled with two live mice in his stomach, to their ability to survive in extreme environments like the sub-Antarctic and the London Underground, mice are built for endurance. They mature quickly, reproduce rapidly, and can live almost anywhere, though not inside a human digestive system!

Mice have played many roles in human life. In sixteenth-century England, mouse dung was used in dentistry, while today, mice are recognised for their intelligence - they can solve mazes, remember names, and even show emotion through facial expressions. Though they can carry disease, their genetic similarity to humans has also made them essential to medical research. Over the past century, they’ve helped scientists develop vaccines and treatments for serious illnesses, saving countless lives.

But wild mice are disappearing. Rundell lists species that have already gone extinct — from the pallid beach mouse to the big-eared hopping mouse — and warns that many more are at risk as their habitats are destroyed.

Written and presented by Katherine Rundell
Produced for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan