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The Difference Between Rats and Mice – There are three species of rodents that are commonly found at home or offices. These species have the adaptability to the human world after a short time. These spices include the Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the Common or Norway rat, the Ship rat (Rattus rattus), commonly called the Black rat or Roof rat, and the House mouse (Mus domesticus). Most homes and offices suffer from this infestation as the owners continue to witness disturbances of feces and dirt.
Rats and mice are grouped together in the rodent sample and appear to be identical. But they are slightly different in size as rats are bigger and weigh more compared to mice, which have smaller and thinner bodies. The tails of the mice have more hair, a long and slender tail compared to rats with shorter, bigger and hairless tails.
Below are the major differences between rats and mice.
Size & Weight
In body and weight, mice have smaller and shorter bodies, which extend 3 to 4 inches. The tail is 3 to 4 inches long, with a full body weight of 12 to 3 ounces. On the other hand, the rat has a body length of 9 to 11 inches with a tail measuring 7 to 9 inches and weighs about 12 ounces to 1.5 pounds.
Physical appearance
Mice have bigger ears on a small head with a pointed and triangular snout. They appear in black, grey, or light brown fur with long tinny hairy tails. The tail normally comes in the same color as the fur. Rats have smaller ears with an appropriate head size. They appear with rough and bristly fur with thick, hairless, and scaly tails. The tails look lighter than the fur and are often pink in color.
Droppings
Though both rodents have dark-colored droppings, rat droppings are usually bigger in size than mice. Below are some differences in droppings.
Mice mostly have grain-like droppings that are 1/8 to 14 of an inch. You’ll experience most of the droppings during the day, about 40-100 droppings. Rats have round droppings the size of olive pits and measure about ¾ of an inch. You may experience about 20-50 droppings a whole day.
Mice feed mostly on grains, fruits, and seeds, while rats chew on almost anything. The rodents have a short lifespan, which can last up to 30 months.
A Final Word on Rats and Mice
Not all furry, scurrying animals are rats or mice. Some are also kept as household pets or even used for scientific experiments. There are many rat and mouse spices, but the three listed above are popular in our homes and offices. These rodents are notorious and are able to sneak into the home or office without being noticed. Commonly fond of chewing on your furniture, food supply, wires, or cables.
Knowing the difference will help you implore the most useful extermination team or technique to use. This measure, if well used, will be effective in controlling and countering this rodent nuisance.
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