Mice, small and resilient creatures as they are, can go approximately 2 to 4 days without food, depending on their overall health, age, and hydration status. Just like in humans, water is much more critical than food for mice, so in instances where they also don't have access to water, their survival time can drop significantly.
It's important first to understand why food plays such a big role in the survival of mice. Mice are small mammals, and due to their size, they have a high metabolic rate. This means they need a regular intake of food to produce the energy required to maintain their body functions and support their activities. Without food, their bodies will start utilizing stored fats followed by protein from muscles, leading to weakness and eventual death.
Dehydration will further exacerbate this situation. Water is necessary for a vast array of bodily functions, including digestion, temperature regulation, waste removal, and even breathing. Without water, these systems can begin to fail, potentially resulting in death in a shorter period of time.
Another factor that can greatly affect the length of time a mouse can survive without food is age and health of the mouse itself. A strong, healthy adult mouse might survive towards the higher end of the estimate, while older, younger, or weak/sick mice might not make it past the shorter estimates.
Lastly, it's also worth mentioning that while mice can technically survive a few days without food, they may not be in particularly good health after this experience. Prolonged periods without proper nutrition can lead to a variety of health complications that may significantly impact a mouse's subsequent quality of life.
In summary, while a mouse might survive between 2 to 4 days without food, this is not ideal. In the absence of both food and water, a mouse's survival time would decrease significantly. The health and age of the mouse could also impact the timeframe significantly. It's recommended that pet mice be fed regularly to ensure good health and wellbeing, and wild mice will naturally seek out food and water sources regularly for the same reasons.