How to Tell the Difference Between a Mouse and a Rat

Mice and rats belong to the same family of murids. It contains approximately 1,383 species of different rodents who can be differentiated by their physical features but lead a similar way of life.

5-Minute Crafts continues to describe the types of animals that are often confused. Today, we want to tell you about how to distinguish a mouse from a rat.

How to recognize a mouse

Mice are a few species from the murine family, such as the common house mouse, yellow-necked mouse, or wood mouse. They can be easily distinguished by the following features:

• A pointed snout
• Small rounded ears
• A body-length scaly tail
• Small size (from 4.5 to 8 inches, including the tail)
• White, brown, or gray in color
• A very curious nature, eager to explore unfamiliar places

How to recognize a rat

Rats are long-tailed rodents of the murine family, such as the black rat or the brown rat. You can distinguish them by the following features:

• Medium or large in size (up to 16 inches in length or more)
• A more blunt snout than that of the mouse
• White, gray, brown, or black in color
• Wiry and rough fur
• A body-length thick scaly tail
• Cautious, trying to avoid unfamiliar places