Ethereal Moon Mousery
A magical, moonlit place where tiny creatures live and gather.
Established in 2022, Ethereal Moon Mousery is home to my thoughtfully raised fancy mouse projects in Southern Orange County, California. Each pairing is guided by health, temperament, longevity, and science-based husbandry as I continue developing my Angora, Splash, Extreme Black, Sable, and Dumbo lines.
This site is also a home for mouse genetics, husbandry, and Science-based information for fellow breeders and mouse lovers.
Small Lives Beneath an Ethereal Moon
Where my Lines Take Shape
Each line begins with a question and takes shape across generations. Through careful observation, recordkeeping, and thoughtful pairings, I explore the genetics behind coat, color, structure, health and temperament. These are living works in progress shaped with patience, curiosity, and care.
Angora
Soft as moonlight, shaped across generations.
My Angora line explores the long-coated Fgf5 phenotype while placing health, temperament, fertility, and strength at the center of each pairing. Beneath every flowing coat is an ongoing effort to understand the gene more deeply and build a line as sound as it is beautiful.
Splash
No two patterns follow quite the same path.
My Splash line explores a dominant pattern that reveals itself most clearly on c-dilute backgrounds. Each generation offers a different arrangement of color, contrast, and scattered markings turning inheritance into something beautifully unpredictable.
Extreme Black
A study in shadow, depth, and inheritance.
Built around the recessive aᵉ/aᵉ phenotype, my Extreme Black line explores rich black pigmentation and how it changes through growth, coat type, and genetic background. Alongside it, I am tracking Mahogany, a dominant darkening gene whose effects appear differently across colors. Together, these projects offer an evolving study of pigment, inheritance, and the many ways darkness can take shape.
Sable
Familiar in appearance, but written through a different path.
Classic Sable is typically built on dominant yellow, but my Sable line explores a similar shaded expression through recessive yellow paired with umbrous. The project follows how warm color and dark shading develop together, creating a familiar phenotype through a distinctly different genetic foundation.
Dumbo
Some lines begin with an answer. This one begins with a mystery.
My Dumbo project follows a recessively inherited type distinguished by large, low-set ears and broad craniofacial structure. I am carefully documenting its inheritance, health, temperament, and long term development before deciding how the line should move forward.
This project remains under study and is not currently available for public placement.
The Dumbo Line Falls Into Place
Two incoming Dumbo founders demonstrating the variety’s exceptional composure, coordination, and respect for gravity.
Meet Moonfall, Ethereal Moon’s Star That Forgot to Stay and Reverie, Ethereal Moon’s Resting Beneath the Night. The Two tiny moon-eared forest spirits are preparing to begin the next chapter of Ethereal Moon’s Dumbo project.
They have already demonstrated remarkable ears, irresistible faces, and dramatically different approaches to remaining on a platform.
This renewed line will continue the study of the Dumbo phenotype including its distinctive ear placement, craniofacial features, temperament, and associated eye abnormalities. The project remains under careful observation and is not currently available for public placement.
Thank you to Hardy Rodentry for keeping the line going for me while I took a much needed break. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for you!
Photo credit to Hardy Rodentry
Life Beneath the Moon
Quiet moments, curious faces, and the little lives that make Ethereal Moon home.
The Human Behind the Moon
Equal parts caretaker, artist, and endlessly curious observer.
Hi, I’m Indigo, the person behind Ethereal Moon Mousery. I’m a hobby breeder and artist living in Southern Orange County, California. Ethereal Moon began in 2022 as a place where my love of mice, genetics, science, and creativity could grow together.
I care for my mice on a small scale, learning from every generation and allowing health, temperament, curiosity, and respect for the animals in my care to guide each decision. When I’m not in the mouse room, I’m usually researching genetics, illustrating tiny creatures, or finding new ways to combine science with art.
Beyond the Mouse Room
I also serve as vice president of the Fancy Mouse Breeders Association (FMBA) and as a columnist for the Mouse Minute, where I write about genetics, husbandry, ethics, and the endlessly fascinating world of mice. Join the FMBA to read more.
Where Mice Become Moonlight
Illustrations inspired by tiny lives, quiet magic, and the natural world.
Where the Echoes Glow
When the Forest Split With Light
When the Estherbells Wake
Where Curiosity Continues…
Field notes from the mouse room and beyond.
Questions have a way of becoming rabbit holes. Or, in my case, mouse burrows. Here I share what I’m learning about genetics, husbandry, health, ethics, and the strange little discoveries that emerge along the way.