They have grayish brown fur.
Difference between roof rat vs mouse.
The norway rat is an omnivore that will consume almost anything it can find.
The difference between mice and rats.
Long tails that are commonly hairless and scaly.
The norway rat can weigh nearly twice as much as a roof rat and be many times larger than the common mouse.
As you can see the biggest difference is size.
Rat behavior one of the most important differences in behavior between mice and rats is that mice are curious and rats are cautious.
Rats grow to a body of 8 inches and a tail of 9 inches and a weight of almost a pound.
Like mice these rodents are also found throughout the world in varying environments.
House mice these little rodents are lightweight and measure about five inches in length.
Next is color and rats tend to be gray with white bellies turning more brown as they get older.
However their eye sight is very poor.
Norway rats roof rats and house mice are the most common types of home invading rodents.
When it comes to ears mice have large floppy ears however rats have larger ears in size compared to mice but not in respect to their body size.
The snout of the rat is more blunt than that of the mouse.
There are a number of physical differences between mice and rats that help to identify them.
They are also nocturnal in nature.
Some species of rats like roof rats prefer to nest up high in attics trees and dense vegetation while others like norway rats burrow and nest underground.
Mice prefer to nest near heat sources like ovens refrigerators and water heaters.
Mice rarely grow more than 3 inch body 3 inch tail and a couple of ounces.
A rat only needs a whole inch wide to enter your home.
Mice also tend to have long thin tails with hair but rat tails will usually be hairless and scaly.
A black rat s tail is dark above and pale beneath while a house mouse s tail is uniformly dark.
A rat s body in general is bulkier while a mouse s body is more slender.
A mouse can slip through inch holes and gaps.
Their nests are usually made from shredded paper and fibrous materials.
Rats typically have a larger territory sometimes going as much as 100 feet in search of sustenance.
With an average weight of about 11 ounces norway rats have acute hearing and a great sense of smell.
Some scientists speculate that mice evolved from rats to fit situations that did not require ferocity or large size but instead offered shelter by entering through small holes.
A mouse travels in an area between 10 to 30 feet in diameter to look for food and water.
Rats are very careful and will choose to avoid new things in their path until they have had time to get used to them being there.
