‘Sir Patrick Stewart’ is world’s oldest mouse in captivity – nine-year-old rodent from San Diego Zoo that weighs ‘as much as three pennies’ wins Guinness World Record

• Pacific pocket mouse named ‘Sir Patrick Stewart’ has become the oldest living mouse in human care at nearly 10 years old
• The rodent who calls the San Diego Zoo and Wildlife Center home is nine years and 211 days old, making him the Guinness World Record holder in the category
• The endangered mouse weighs just 7.5 grams, roughly the weight of three pennies 

A Pacific pocket mouse named ‘Sir Patrick Stewart’ has become the oldest living mouse in human care at nearly 10 years old. 

‘Pat,’ a mouse whose species is endangered may weigh just 7.5 grams (.265 ounces) but his will to live is strong. 

The rodent who calls the San Diego Zoo and Wildlife Alliance home is nine years and 211 days old, making him nearly two years older than the previous Guinness World Record holder in the category. 

Pat was born on July 14, 2013 at the San Diego Zoo and is part of the conservation and breeding reintroduction program. 

‘This recognition is so special for our team, and is significant for the species,’ said Debra Shier, associate director of Recovery Ecology at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. 

A Pacific pocket mouse named ‘Sir Patrick Stewart’ has become the oldest living mouse in human care at nearly 10 years old

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_KJGtgBLGU4%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US

Pat may be a few years off from his namesake- the real Sir Patrick Stewart is 82- but the wildlife officials are not letting that get in the way of them celebrating. 

Shier told one San Diego television station her team has worked incredibly hard to keep Pat alive and healthy over the years. 

‘It’s been a huge commitment but it’s extremely rewarding,’ she said. 

‘It’s indicative of the dedication and incredible care we as an organization provide for each species, from the largest to the very smallest,’ Shier continued. 

Pat was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records Wednesday with a small ceremony. 

‘To be able to celebrate Pat and verify that he’s old was really amazing,’ said adjudicator with Guinness World Records, Michael Empric.

According to Guinness, Pat’s birth date was confirmed via multiple medical records and animal record logs.

Pat was born to two wild-caught parent in the first year of the zoo’s conservation effort for the endangered species. 

Pat is just few years off from his namesake as the real Sir Patrick Stewart is 82

‘To be able to celebrate Pat and verify that he’s old was really amazing,’ said adjudicator with Guinness World Records, Michael Empric

Pat was born to two wild-caught parent in the first year of the zoo’s conservation effort for the endangered species

Oldest mouse ever 🐁 9 years 210 days – Patrick Stewart from @sandiegozoo 🇺🇸 #mouse #mice #pets #rodent #guinnessworldrecords #sandiego

Shier said that the small animal has never had a litter himself but ‘still tries’ to this day. 

‘He has been paired 32 times with 23 different females and while he exhibited good courtship behavior (sandbathing, slow approach and digging), females were extremely aggressive in mate pairings with him,’ Shier said.

The nine-year-old mouse almost mated recently but things did not go according to plan.  

‘He came closest to mating in his pairing this year as a nine-year-old male and may have mated if the trial wasn’t stopped due to a time limit of two and a half hours,’ the wildlife expert explained. 

The Pacific pocket mouse is the smallest mouse species in North America.

Shier said the decline in their population led to the program being established. 

‘It’s been a herculean effort to do conservation with this species. They’re very little known, they get very little attention but they can be very important for ecosystem function,’ said Shier.

‘This recognition is so special for our team, and is significant for the species,’ said Debra Shier, associate director of Recovery Ecology at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance 

This area in Southern California is the typical stomping ground for the endangered animal

The animals are responsible for dispersing the seeds of plants and encouraging plant growth in their habitat

The nine year old mouse is a far stretch from the typical four to six years the animals live in captivity. 

In the wild, the animals typically only make it two years. 

The mice, while incredibly small, play a huge role in their ecosystems. 

The animals are responsible for dispersing the seeds of plants and encouraging plant growth in their habitat. 

Last year, the San Diego Wildlife Alliance helped produce 31 litters – a total of 117 pups. 

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