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Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size. Usually the common name of a large muroid rodent will include the word "rat", while a smaller muroid's name will include "mouse". The common terms rat and mouse are not taxonomically specific. There are 56 known species of rats in the world. [1]
Like pet rats, pet mice should not be left unsupervised outside as they have many natural predators, including (but not limited to) birds, snakes, lizards, cats, and dogs. Male mice tend to have a stronger odor than the females. However, mice are careful groomers and as pets they never need bathing. Well looked-after mice can make ideal pets.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 12 February 2025. Order of mammals Rodent Temporal range: Late Paleocene – recent Pre๊ ๊ O S D C P T J K Pg N Capybara Springhare Golden-mantled ground squirrel North American beaver House mouse Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Mirorder ...
A print showing cats and mice from a 1501 German edition of Aesop's fables Murids feature in literature, including folk tales and fairy stories. In the Pied Piper of Hamelin , retold in many versions since the 14th century, including one by the Brothers Grimm , a rat-catcher lures the town's rats into the river, but the mayor refuses to pay him.
A print showing cats and mice from a 1501 German edition of Aesop's Fables. This list of fictional rodents is subsidiary to the list of fictional animals and covers all rodents, including beavers, mice, chipmunks, gophers, guinea pigs, hamsters, marmots, prairie dogs, porcupines and squirrels, as well as extinct or prehistoric species.
The best-known Rattus species are the black rat (R. rattus) and the brown rat (R. norvegicus). The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats and originated in Asia . Rats are bigger than most Old World mice , which are their relatives, but seldom weigh over 500 grams (1.1 lb) in the wild.
Mice are good jumpers, climbers, and swimmers, and are generally considered to be thigmotactic, i.e. usually attempt to maintain contact with vertical surfaces. [citation needed] Mice are mostly crepuscular or nocturnal; they are averse to bright lights. The average sleep time of a captive house mouse is reported to be 12.5 hours per day.
Included are mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, lemmings, and voles. They are grouped according to the structure of their jaws and molar teeth . They are characterized by their myomorphous zygomasseteric system , which means that both their medial and lateral masseter muscles are displaced forward, making them adept at gnawing.