Since 2020 is the Year of the Rat, some people have been asking about what the difference is between a rat and a mouse. Here’s some useful info for you courtesy of Diffen.com:
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Mouse Versus Rat Comparison Chart |
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| Mouse | Rat | |
| Identification Method | Small feces | Larger feces |
| Head | Small, triangular, small relative to body | Short, stubby, broad, large relative to body |
| Ears | Ears are large relative to the head. | Ears are small relative to the head. |
| Eyes | Slightly bigger in relation to the head | Smaller in relation to head |
| Muzzle | Narrow with sharp muzzle | Large and blunt with wide muzzle |
| Tail | A mouse is small and has a skinny tail. | A rat is bigger and has a thicker tail. |
| Digging burrows | Mice do not dig deep and even if they do so, they may dig only to about a foot. | Rats dig deep and long burrows. |
| Life Span | 1.5 – 2.5 years | 2-3 years |
| Genetic Differences | Mice have 20 chromosome pairs & 2.6 million base pairs | Rats have 21 chromosome pairs & 2.75 million base pairs |
| Best known species | Common House Mouse (Mus Musculus) | Black Rat (Rattus Rattus); Brown Rat (Rattus Norvegicus) |
| Romans call it | Mus Minimus | Mus Maximus |
| Spaniards call it | Raton | Rata |