Rodents
|
Norway Rat |
Roof Rat |
House Mouse |
| Characteristic |
Norway Rat |
Roof Rat |
House Mouse |
| General appearance |
large, robust |
Sleek, graceful |
small, slender |
| Adult size | |||
|
weight |
7-18 oz |
5-9 oz |
½ – 1 oz |
| length | |||
|
head & body |
7-9.5 in |
6-8 in |
2-3.5 in |
|
tail |
6-8 in |
7-10 in |
3-4 in |
| Snout |
blunt |
pointed |
pointed |
| Ears |
small, covered with short hairs; do not reach eyes |
large, nearly naked; can be pulled over eyes |
large, some hair |
| Eyes |
small |
large, prominent |
small |
| Tail |
dark above, pale beneath |
uniformly dark |
uniformly dark |
| Fur |
brown with scattered black; shaggy |
grey to black; smooth |
light brown, light gray; smooth |
| Droppings |
capsule shaped, 3/4 in |
spindle shaped, .5 in |
rod shaped, .5 in |
| Senses | |||
|
Sight |
poor, color blind |
poor, color blind |
poor, color blind |
|
Smell, Taste, Hearing |
excellent |
excellent |
excellent |
| Food |
omnivorous; often preference for meats .8-1 oz per day |
omnivorous; especially fruits, nuts, grains vegetables; .5-1 oz day |
omnivorous, prefers cereal grains; .1 oz per day |
| Water |
15-30 ml/day |
15-30 ml/day |
3-9 ml/day; can subsist Without free water |
| Feeding habits |
shy to new objects; steady eater |
shy to new objects; steady eater |
inquisitive; nibbler |
| Climbing |
readily climbs; limited Agility |
very agile, active climber |
good climber |
| Nests |
usually burrows |
walls, attics, trees |
within buildings, stored food |
| Home range radius |
98-164 ft |
98-164 ft |
10-33 ft |
| Age at mating (months) |
2-3 |
2-3 |
1.5-2 |
| Breeding season |
spring and fall peaks |
spring and fall peaks |
year long |
| Gestation period (days) |
22 |
22 |
19 |
| Young per litter |
8-12 |
4-8 |
4-7 |
| Litters per year |
4-7 |
4-6 |
8 |
| Length of life |
1 year |
1 year |
1 year |
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Rats and mice attack our food in a variety of ways and places. Such places are farm fields, orchards, and livestock facilities, during its processing, storage and transport, and while it is in our supermarkets, restaurants and homes. And what the rats and mice don’t eat, they spoil by contaminating it with their urine, feces, or fur. Experts estimate that rats and mice destroy enough food each year to feed 200 million people.
In buildings, rodents damage doors, floors, ceilings and walls as a result of their burrowing and gnawing activity.
Rodents have been responsible for the spread of various diseases to people and domestic animals. Some of those diseases are the Plague, which killed 25,000,000 people in Europe during the 14th century, Murine typhus, Rickettsial pox, Salmonellosis (food poisoning), Rat-bite fever, Weils disease or leptospirosis.
