Rats are generally larger than mice. While young rats can sometimes be mistaken for mice, they can be distinguished by their disproportionately long feet and oversized head. Both rodents are capable of chewing through hard, wooden surfaces, but rat teeth marks are much larger than those of mice.

How do you know if it's a rat or mouse?

Differences Between Mice and Rats Include: Mice have thin, slightly hairy tails; rats have a thicker, hairless, scaly tail. The nose of a mouse is triangular in shape; the nose of a rat is more blunt and rounded. Both mice and rats can be brown or gray in color, but rats can also be black.

What looks like a rat but not a rat?

One animal that is sometimes seen and mistaken for a rat is in fact a small carnivorous marsupial – the antechinus. While there are several species of antechinus in Australia, they share several traits in common, which, taken together, can set them apart from rodents such as rats and mice.