2007-10-31 09:56:44 · 6 answers · asked by Amanda H 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
No, no more than a cow in a stable becomes a horse. Mice are in the genus 'mus' (which is Latin for, er, 'mouse') and rats are in the genus 'rattus' (Latin again, and means, er, 'rat'. I am not making this up, I promise).
Mus musculus is the common house mouse as found anywhere humans live (except possibly Antarctica), while Rattus norwegicus (Norway rat) is the sewer rat or brown rat and Rattus rattus is the black rat.
Pet rats and mice are Rattus norwegicus and Mus musculus respectively. http://animal-world.com/encyclo/critters/mouse/dmouse1.jpg is a picture of a pet mouse and http://bayimages.net/images/7k/bay006076.jpg is a pet rat, so you can see the difference.
2007-10-31 10:48:49 · answer #1 · answered by smtrodent 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If a rat is in a hat, is it a mouse?
2007-10-31 10:13:33 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Rats live in Rat (fire) traps and mice like to tidy up, and they don't invite rats to visit because they eat too much!
2007-11-01 15:05:22 · answer #3 · answered by kriend 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, a mouse is a mouse -- house or no house.
2007-10-31 12:46:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, mice and rats are very different.
2007-10-31 10:04:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Very different animals.
Mouse - body 2 inches, soft furry tail.
Rat - 5 or more inches, scaly tail.
2007-10-31 10:23:51 · answer #6 · answered by Sandy G 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋