What is the deference between a mouse and a rat?

Question

i saw both at the pet store and asked but the person i asked didnt even know? but if you work at a pet store shouldnt you know what the diffrence?! how strange.

Answer 1

mice are definitely nicer to have as a pet and friendlier,

Answer 2

The main difference between a rat and a mouse is size.  That is about it.

Answer 3

Well.. they're a different species. :P

Rats have 22 chromosomes, mice have 20. Rats are much larger than mice, and have a different number of nipples. Mice have smaller feet and more triangular heads than rats, and their tails are much thinner. Rats have larger heads in comparison to their bodies.. They also have different gestation periods. Rats are also more social and companionable pets than mice, and a bit more intelligent.

Rats also are quite willing to hunt, kill, and eat mice!  

Answer 4

Mouses are smaller, and their tails are more furry, and rats are bigger, with ugly bare tails.  

Answer 5

Mice are smaller (3-4 inches without the tail) less intelligent, and they bite more.

Rats vary greatly in size, to dwarf rats (not much larger than mice) to foot-longers (again, without the tail). Rats are very intelligent, are self-aware, and can learn to tell humans apart if kept as pets.

Pet store workers are usually employed there because they need a job, and not necessarily because they know much about animals.

(And I'm SUPER biased toward rats- they make great pets! You can handle and cuddle them and they'll sit on your shoulder and watch you work...I like mice but they're more of a sit-and-watch pet.)

Answer 6

I work in a pet store and I don't know the difference, but then again we only sell rats, so I don't need to know about mice.

I guess the difference would be size, how long they live, intelligence, social behaviour...