The scientific name of the Aeslin mouse (Apodemus sapiens) means, literally, "the thinking mouse." They are considered part of the family Muridae, although they regard other members of the family as beasts of burden, predators, or sources of food, depending on their relative sizes and behaviors. A colony of Aeslin mice descending upon a rat is a fearsome sight indeed.
Extensive study has been performed upon the Aeslin mouse, courtesy of the colony which came to America with Alexander and Enid Healy. Enid inherited the custodianship of the colony from her own mother, Caroline Davies, who claimed to have found them "out back of the barn," engaged in ritual adoration of a chicken.
No Aeslin mice have ever been observed in the wild. Whether this is because they now exist only within human domiciles, or because they have become extinct apart from the family colony, is currently unknown.
BIOLOGY
Biologically, the Aeslin mouse is near-identical to a common field mouse. Dissection of already-deceased subjects has revealed an enlarged cerebral cortex, indicative of their human-level of intelligence, and their forepaws are sophisticated enough to be considered true hands.
The birth rate of Aeslin mice is dramatically lower than that of their wild cousins. The average female will have one baby every two years, resulting in no more than three to four offspring over the course of her life. Aeslin mice take between three and five years to mature, and can live well into their late thirties. It is surmised that they would have far shorter lifespans in the wild.
DESCRIPTION
The Aeslin mouse can be distinguished from the common field mouse by its more developed forepaws, and by its tendency to dress in clothing and jewelry fashioned from bones, bits of fabric, and things it has managed to steal from the kitchen junk drawer.
SOCIETY
The Aeslin mouse has a highly sophisticated society, centered around a devout religious class. Each colony of Aeslin mice to have been recorded has worshiped a different god or set of gods. These have included, but were not limited to, a large oak tree, a roll-top desk, and Caroline Davies's chickens. The colony currently living in the Price family attic worships the family. It is generally believed that these religious leanings are intended to keep the colony unified, and to prevent straying from places of safety.
Religious schisms occur every three to five generations, with groups of younger mice splitting off and leaving the parent colony to find new gods. To date, none of these child colonies have been heard from again.
OF NOTE
Aeslin mice never forget anything. Remember that when speaking in their presence, and choose your words with the attendant levels of care.
Artwork by Kory Bing.