Young rats and adult mice can look very similar, but there’s a couple of features to look out for to help tell them apart. As a general rule, young rats have bigger features relative to their body size and look slightly out of proportion. This includes bigger feet (‘clown feet’), head, ears and also a thicker tail. In comparison, mouse feet, head, ears, and tail look proportionate to its body size.
Take a look at the below images for reference:
Mice are not one of our target species. If you want to remove mice, you can purchase a couple of low-cost mouse traps (supermarket or hardware store ones work well), tucked away next to the fridge or similar – just follow the instructions.
If you are in an area where our teams have eliminated rats and suspect that you’ve seen a rat, or want to check with our team if its a rat or mouse, please report this online or call 0800 NO RATS (0800 667 287).
See a PDF version here.