What's the difference between a rat and a mouse?

Answer 1

Other than the obvious of size and color.

Some of the less than obvious:
A rat can swim over a mile in heavy choppy seas, a mouse cannot swim near that.
A rat can climb to the very tip of of the tallest tree and hold on, it's doubtful a mouse can get up the base.
A rat can chew trough the hardest of steel insulation used on wire although a mouse can chew throw anything other than metal.
A rat can carry diseases taking a long time to succumb to the disease if ever, as can can mice but they do succumb
You can never be infested by both mice and rats at the same time

Why?


Rats will eat mice!

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What's the difference between a rat and a mouse?

Answer 3

What do the terms rat and mouse mean?

Rat and mouse are actually not scientific classifications. These words are common names for rodents that look alike to the casual eye.

Rat is used to describe medium-sized rodents with long thin tails. There are many species of rodent that are called rats -- kangaroo rats, cotton rats, Norway rats, black rats, African pouched rats, naked mole rats, wood rats, pack rats, Polynesian rats, and many others. These different rodent species may not be closely related to each other at all!

Mouse is used to describe tiny, sparrow-sized rodents with long thin tails. 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.

So, which rats and mice are you talking about? Generally, people are referring to the domestic or pest rats and mice, which means Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus), black rats (Rattus rattus), and house mice (Mus musculus).

Answer 4

Rats and mice are in the same family. The only thing is rats are larger and cleaner then mice. If you wanna find out more about their differances do a web search or go to a petstore.

Answer 5

a rat stays outside, a mouse inside.

Answer 6

rat lives in rut
mouse lives inside the house
(see the rhyme, dude)
rats are actually wild while the mice are domesticated ones

Answer 7

Rats are smarter and more social. Infact they are the most intelligent rodent. They are also obviously larger.

Answer 8

rats are big and brown with red eyes and willard loved them

mice are sweet small and soft with white fur
that is the diff

Answer 9

size....small=mouse, large=rat, large with hairy tail=squirrel

Answer 10

size and appetite