mouse v. rat

Rats and mice are both omnivorous, nocturnal rodents that are commonly used in scientific research. Mouse and rat are colloquial terms that can be applied to many members of the muroid family. For example, house mice, field mice, deer mice, and dormice are different types of mice. Rats are larger than mice, and include brown rats, kangaroo rats, black rats, African pouched rats, naked mole rats, pack rats, and Polynesian rats.

Feature	House Mouse	Brown Rat
scientific name	Mus musculus	Rattus norvegicus
body size	8-10 cm	23-28 cm
weight	~25 g	~350 g
head	small & tapered	large & broad
ears	large	small
tail	thin	thick
feet	small	large
intelligence	unintelligent	intelligent

 

RatBehavior.org on mouse v. rat