Difference between Rat and Mice

Rat and mice both are different types of rodents. People often confuse rats with mice as they look alike. Let us study these creatures more closely to understand how they differ from each other!

Rat:

Rats are a type of rodents. They are medium-sized and are characterized by a blunt snout, and a long, thick tail. The two most commonly found species of rats include black rat and brown rat. They are found all over the world and are one of the most adaptable animals in the world.

Rats tend to be very cautious, i.e. they are very careful and tend to avoid new or strange objects on their path. So, you should place unset traps in their path before placing the set rat traps. Their natural predators include snakes, cats, birds of prey etc. They are nocturnal as they are active during the night and like to sleep during the day.

They are mostly omnivorous as they feed on plant as well animal matter to get all the required nutrients. The female rats can produce babies at around 5 weeks of age and can give birth to 6 to 10 baby rates after a gestation period of around 24 days. A baby rat is known as a pup, kitten or pinkie and it matures within 6-8 weeks.

Mice:

Mice are tiny, sparrow-sized rodents. They are native to Africa and Eurasia and are found in almost all countries in the world. They are characterized by furry bodies, pointed nose, elongated ears, hairless tail and long whiskers. They measure from 12 to 20 cm in length and weigh from 12 to 28 grams. They can inhabit a wide range of habitats such as gardens, yards, forests etc., and may form underground burrows to live in. They come in different colours such as white, grey, and brown.

Mice are very curious by nature. They tend to investigate new objects in their objects. So it is easy to catch them by placing a trap in their path. Their natural predators include cats, dogs, foxes and birds. They are nocturnal creatures so they are more active at night and prefer to sleep during the day. They can stand up on their hind legs and are excellent swimmers, climbers, and jumpers.

They are omnivorous by nature. The female mice give birth to around six baby mice after a gestation period of less than a month. A baby mouse is known as pup, kitten or pinkie and it matures within 9-13 weeks.

Based on the above information, some of the key differences between rat and mice are as follows:

Rat	Mice
Their head is comparatively large relative to their body.	Their head is comparatively small relative to their body.
Their snout is blunt.	They have a triangular snout and long whiskers.
They are much larger than mice.	They are much smaller than rats.
They have 21 chromosomes.	They have 20 chromosome pairs.
Their eyes and ears are small relative to the head.	Their eyes and ears are large relative to the head.
They have longer tails than that of mice.	Their tails are shorter than that of mice.
They are more likely to dig deep and long burrows.	They are less likely to dig deep and long burrows.
The baby rats mature within 6-8 weeks.	The baby mice mature within 9-13 weeks.
Rat droppings are larger than that of mice.	Mice droppings are smaller than that of rats.