Mouse and rat.... are they different????
If a mouse/rat entered your house, and it's not ur pet... how would you call it? A mouse or rat??
2007-04-23 19:54:59 · 18 answers · asked by monique_s 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
a mouse is smaller than a rat...
2007-04-23 19:58:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A mouse is smaller than a rat which is much bigger.
Usually rats come in to your house, mouse don't run around all over the place, so if one critter ran into your place it would be a Rat.
2007-04-23 20:17:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are very different in size, and fairly different in appearance. A baby rat does not look like a mouse. And it's rats that have a little hair on their tails, mouse tails are pretty much bald. Mice also have pointier faces, and rats are a lot more muscular. Take this cool quiz to see how good you are at telling mice and rats apart:
http://www.ratbehavior.org/QuizRatOrMouse.htm
Chalice
2007-04-23 20:24:59 · answer #3 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If it is huge it is probably a rat. If you live in my hometown it may be cat sized. Mice are smaller and I think rats are smarter as well. Mice and rats carry different types of diseases as well. If a mouse trap will suffice, call it a mouse. If mom grabs the shotgun it probably a rat.
2007-04-23 20:07:10 · answer #4 · answered by Kelsey 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you think it could fit in the palm of your hand (without the tail) its probly a mouse. If not defenetly a rat. Rats also have pointyer snouts.
2007-04-24 01:01:41 · answer #5 · answered by Hold_your_color 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mice and rats are both classified as rodents but are not the same animals. There are differences in size, look, and certain behavioral characteristics.
There is also a distinction between fancy rats/mice (sold as pets) and street ones.
2007-04-23 20:05:57 · answer #6 · answered by mroof! 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
One would think it would get boring to ask the same question week after week.....
(Just taking the Norway rat as example)
Norway rats and house mice belong to different species. A species is a group of related individuals or populations which are potentially capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. So Norway rats and house mice belong to different species and cannot interbreed. Humans and orangutangs, chipmunks and red squirrels, bottlenosed dolphins and killer whales, all belong to different species.
Norway rats and house mice are related, however. They descend from a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago -- how long ago is currently under debate, with estimates ranging from 8 to 41 million years ago. That estimate will probably become more precise over time. The descendants of that common ancestor diverged into different species, among which are Norway rats and house mice.
Norway rats and house mice now have many genetic, reproductive, developmental, morphological and anatomical differences. The list below is not exhaustive, but for those with a casual interest it should get you started:
• Genetic differnces: Norway rats have 22 chromosome pairs, house mice have 20 (see Levan 1991). Norway rats have 2.75 million base pairs while mice have 2.6 million (humans have 2.9). About 90% of rat genes have counterparts in the mouse and human genomes (Rat Genome Sequencing Consortium 2004). See Burt et al. 1999, Grutzner et al. 1999, and Watanabe et al. 1999 for more.
• Growth differences: In general, Norway rats develop more slowly than house mice. For example, Norway rat gestation is slightly longer (21-24 days) than house mouse gestation (19-20 days). Norway rats lactate for about 3 weeks, house mice for 2 weeks. Both species are born naked and blind, but Norway rats open their eyes at 6 days, they are fully furred at 15 days. House mice open their eyes at 3 days, have fur at 10 days (etc.).
• Anatomical differences: Norway rats have 6 pairs of nipples, house mice have 5 pairs.
• Morphological differences: Norway rats are larger, heavier and longer than house mice (Norway rat: 350-650 grams, 9-11 inch bodies and 7-9 inch tails; house mice: 30-90 grams, 3-4 inch bodies and 3-4 inch tails). Correlated with this larger size, Norway rat body parts are larger than those of the house mouse -- rats have larger ears, feet etc. The heads of Norway rats are heavy, blunt and chunky, house mouse heads are small and sharply triangular with pointed muzzles. Note, however, that Norway rats have smaller ears relative to their heads than house mice.
• Sign differences: Due to their larger body size, rat feces are larger than mouse feces (also see differences in rat and mouse sign from a pest management perspective).
2007-04-23 20:08:20 · answer #7 · answered by Unicornrider 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
a mouse is much smaller, enjoys running in a wheel, and is much more friendly, while a rat, which can be friendly, can also grow rather large, be very withdrawn, and also be lazy. Rats are much more intelligent though, they are actually trainable, much like dogs.
2007-04-23 20:01:05 · answer #8 · answered by joshuaflora87 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I own a fancy rat & he is very sweet, they can be taught & they are very clean, but you have to spend alot of time with them just like a cat.They are bigger then mice.
2007-04-23 20:04:38 · answer #9 · answered by sly 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a mouse would make a woman get on a chair. a rat would make her leave the county
2007-04-23 19:58:43 · answer #10 · answered by BOB H 4 · 7⤊ 2⤋