Woolly mouse facts for kids

The woolly mouse is a special kind of laboratory mouse that was changed using genetic engineering. Scientists at a company called Colossal Biosciences created these mice in 2025. They did this as part of a bigger plan to bring back the woolly mammoth from extinction.

These woolly mice have traits that are inspired by mammoths. For example, they have thick, woolly coats. They also have other genetic changes that help them handle cold weather better.

What is a Woolly Mouse?

A woolly mouse is a regular mouse, but its DNA has been changed. This process is called genetic engineering. Think of DNA as the instruction book for every living thing. By changing these instructions, scientists can give an animal new features.

For the woolly mouse, the goal was to give it features like a woolly mammoth. This included making its fur thicker and longer. They also aimed to make the mouse more resistant to cold temperatures. These changes are important steps in understanding how to bring back extinct animals.

Why Create Woolly Mice?

The main reason for creating woolly mice was to help with the de-extinction project. Colossal Biosciences is an American biotechnology company. They are working to bring back the woolly mammoth.

They plan to do this by changing the genes of Asian elephants. Asian elephants are the closest living relatives to mammoths. By adding mammoth-like traits to elephants, they hope to create animals that can live in cold places. The woolly mouse project helps them learn how to make these genetic changes safely and effectively.

The Big Plan: Woolly Mammoths and Climate Change

Colossal Biosciences believes that bringing back woolly mammoths could help fight climate change. Their idea is that large herds of these new mammoth-like elephants could live in the Arctic. The Arctic is a very cold region with tundra landscapes.

Here's how they think it could help:

• Mammoths would graze in a way that helps grasslands grow.
• This could reduce the melting of permafrost. Permafrost is ground that stays frozen all year.
• When permafrost melts, it releases carbon dioxide, a gas that warms the planet.
• By reducing melting, less carbon dioxide would be released.

The company announced their research in March 2025. They hope to have the first genetically modified elephant calf with mammoth traits by the end of 2028.

See also

• Alba (rabbit)
• Colossal Biosciences
• De-extinction
• Glofish
• Revival of the woolly mammoth