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Mouse racing is an activity in which live rodents are coaxed to travel through a miniature racecourse at fast speeds. The races generally take place at taverns, fairs, or fund-raising events and are popular in several countries. Mouse racing has also attracted criticism from animal rights groups, who believe the activity is too stressful for the mice. ==Variations== There are several different types of mouse races. Some races use elaborate sets built to resemble a horse racing track,〔Rose, Bob. "Hickory-Dickory Jocks". ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. 8 February 1996. p. 53〕 while others are more like obstacle courses, with wheels and other challenges.〔Sparks, Glen. "On Your Mark, Get Set, Squeak!" ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. 29 January 2004. p. 1〕 In 1940s England, mice were sometimes made to propel miniature boats by running on treadmills, which were connected to the boat's paddle-wheels.〔"Mouse Racing". ''Time''. 23 September 1946.〕 In many contemporary races, an individual mouse trainer organizes the event using his own animals and invites spectators to make bets, with the proceeds often going to some specific cause.〔Cooper, Olivia. Untitled article. ''Farmers Weekly''. 31 December 2004. p. 1〕 In the United States, one of the most well-known charity-race organizers was Harvey Coffee. He organized events throughout the American Midwest and was mentioned in the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''.〔Fenning, Esther. "Mouse Races by Gateway Downs in O'Fallon are more than a little feat". ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. 15 March 2001. p. 3.〕 The famous World War II movie, Stalag 17, features a scene with mouse racing in a barracks. More competitive versions of the activity have existed; for example, a Western Australia Mouse Racing Association was founded in 1972 to organize competitions among mouse owners, who trained their pets to break speed records.〔"They're Off in Australia –racing mice, that is". ''New York Times''. 10 September 1972. p. 11.〕 Australia continues to hold a national Mouse Cup in rural Bylong, which attracts about 800 participants.〔Scala, Mark. "Rats in ranks at Mouse Cup". ''The Daily Telegraph''. 21 March 2003. South Walesp. 25.〕 Rats are explicitly banned at the more competitive mouse races. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mouse racing」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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