However rats and mice have different nesting preferences.
Roof rat vs mouse.
The most common rat species in the u s.
Roof rat droppings are very similar to the house mouse but much thicker.
Are the norway rat and the roof rat.
Norway rat poop droppings norway rat poop droppings are even thicker that the roof rats and typically much shorter than field mice and roof rats.
A norway rat has capsule shaped feces while a roof rat has spindle shaped droppings and a house mouse has rod shaped excrement.
Norway rats for example stay around the lower levels of homes while roof rats prefer higher elevations like attics.
You also may notice only when you discover they ve destroyed a part or parts of your property.
While there are several species of rats and mice i will examine the two most common ones the roof or black rat and the house mouse both seen in the above photograph.
Mice on the other hand simply build their nests.
As you can see the biggest difference is size.
Rats grow to a body of 8 inches and a tail of 9 inches and a weight of almost a pound.
Like mice rats are nocturnal have very poor eyesight but have very strong senses of smell taste and hearing.
So if rats and mice have found food around your home you might find their droppings in the kitchen as well as the attic or other places they hide.
How to tell the difference between rat vs mouse by their droppings.
Rats live in similar colony structures.
Several behaviors may indicate whether there is a mouse vs.
Typically the length will still be the same but the thickness will be much greater than the typical field mouse.