Blog

• That's where it gets a bit trickier because, in a lot of ways, rats and mice are very similar: Both are commensal rodents, which is just a scientific way of saying they don't mind being near people. Both find their way into homes, sheds, garages, and barns-in other words, wherever there are warmth and food. Both are known for chewing through walls, floors, clothing, furniture, wood, wires, and pretty much anything else. More items...

• Pick a rat if you want an active,human-loving pet. Rats are a great choice if you prefer a curious and intelligent animal that enjoys human stimulation and companionship.
• Choose a mouse if you prefer a more independent pet. Mice are decidedly more independent than rats. ...
• Consider adopting a pet rat if you have children. ...

• Rat heads are heavy, blunt and chunky, while mouse heads are tiny, sharply triangular, and have pointed noses. And rat ears are smaller than mouse ears relative to the size of their heads. Mice tend to have softer fur , while rats' fur is more coarse. A house mouse's fur is light brown or gray to black in color, with lighter bellies.

• 1.Rats differ in many aspects to the mouse physically because they have a bigger body, heavier weight, longer body length, longer tail, larger head, and have more nipple pairs. 2.The baby rat opens its eyes and grows fur much later than the baby mouse. 3.Rats have longer droppings than mice.

• Although both rats and mice fall into the rodent category, there are some differences in their behaviors. Even though they are smaller in size, mice tend to be a bit bolder than rats. Mice are usually curious and will explore new things, including traps. It’ll take more than a baited trap to trick a rat though.

• Rats can, and do, kill mice, a behavior known as muricide. Muricide is a form of predatory behavior: rats hunt, kill and eat mice. A study done in 1956 showed that 71% of wild rats and 12% of domestic rats will kill mice. Rats will eat anything, including mice, to survive.

Mouse vs. Rat – It’s all in the Appearance. Although coloration of mice and rats are similar, there are a few differences in other features that would help you distinguish between the two. Starting with the snouts of both mice and rats, mice will have more of a triangular nose whereas a rat’s nose is blunter.

As with rats, there are many species of rodents called mice which may or may not be closely related to each other: house mice, field mice, deer mice, smoky mice, spiny mice, and dormice are all called mice.

The house mouse is considered one of the top 100 "World's Worst" Invaders. Mice are afraid of rats because rats will kill and eat mice. Rat odor can be a strong deterrent to mice and affect their behavior. Mice, themselves, have a musky odor.