Also known as brown rat sewer rat water rat gray rat house rat and wharf rat color.
Roof rat vs house mouse.
However just as a weed is a plant in the wrong place a pest is a pet you didn t ask for.
The house mouse mus musculus norway rat rattus norvegicus and roof rat rattus rattus species are in the muridae family which is the largest family of rodents and mammals in the world.
Average 4 7 per year feeding habits.
However rats may grow to be as long as 40 cm or more and weigh considerably more than mice.
A norway rat has capsule shaped feces while a roof rat has spindle shaped droppings and a house mouse has rod shaped excrement.
These rodents are grayish brown in color with a light yellow underside.
Roof rats this species is agile and slender though roof rats are about the same length as norway rats.
As you can see the biggest difference is size.
Steady eater but afraid of new.
Small head small feet pointed snout large ears with some hair.
The roof rat is the smaller of the two and it is often mistaken for a mouse due to their large ears and pointed noses.
Rats are medium sized to large rodents.
How to identify a rodent a mouse in the house a rat in the roof.
A roof rat will be colored brown or black and if you have ever had the opportunity to view one up close or even hold it you would see and feel that the fur is very soft and smooth.
Home blog a mouse in the house a rat in the roof.
23 days litter size.
Rats grow to a body of 8 inches and a tail of 9 inches and a weight of almost a pound.
So if rats and mice have found food around your home you might find their droppings in the kitchen as well as the attic or other places they hide.
How to identify a rodent.
30 to 45 cm 12 18 body.
Rats live in similar colony structures.
Blunt nose short ears sexual maturity.
Families of mice consist of one dominant male several females and their young.
Roof rat large eyes large ears slender longer hairless tail house mouse small all the way around with a tail as coated with fur as the rest of its body habits of each rodent rats and mice can squeeze through holes just large enough to pass their heads through as small as for mice and inch for rats.
Mice and rats can make excellent pets.
The head and feet of adult house mice are proportionally smaller than their bodies while young rats have larger heads and feet in comparison to their bodies.
While there are several species of rats and mice i will examine the two most common ones the roof or black rat and the house mouse both seen in the above photograph.
Roof rats have pointed noses and large ears and are often mistaken for house mice.
When domesticated they are clean intelligent and docile.
Thick or stocky body.
1 2 to 1 lb 10 17 oz length including tail.
Their coats are white gray brown or black in color and are often soiled enough to leave grease marks on touched surfaces.
These mice have a light brown body with some gray shading and a dark tail.
6 12 per litter no.
