Rats and mice can gnaw pipes, chew water hoses, and cut through mortar and cement. They can chew up wiring as well as insulation, resulting in fire hazards. They can cause structural damage to buildings by their gnawing and nest-building activities. For example, they eat and contaminate food with their urine, droppings, and hair. Rats and mice are objectionable in many ways. A distinguishing characteristic is the bicolored tail, the top half being darker than below. The ears are large, rounded and mostly hairless. The deer mouse ranges from 6 to 8 inches in total length, including the tail, which is about one-half of its total length. Young deer mice are gray with white underbellies. 4) generally are tan or brown with a white underbelly and throat. The tail is scaly and always shorter than the combined length of the head and body.Īdult deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus)(fig. The face features a blunt nose and small ears and eyes. The body is 6 to 8 inches long and weighs between 12 and 16 ounces. It usually is grayish brown, but color may vary from a pure gray to reddish brown or completely black.
3) is sometimes referred to as the brown rat or common rat. The Norway rat ( Rattus norvegicus) (fig. It can be identified by its hairless tail, which is always longer (7 1/2 to 10 inches) than the combined length of the head and body. The roof rat has large ears and a pointed nose. The body is 6 1/2 to 8 inches long and weighs between 6 and 12 ounces. Its color varies from black to brownish gray, and the underside varies from gray to white. The house mouse has relatively large ears for its size, and the tail is between 3 and 4 inches long. The body is 2 to 3 1/2 inches long and weighs between 5/8 and 1 ounce. 1) generally has a grayish brown top and a light cream-colored underside. 4) is sometimes found indoors, especially with the onset of cold weather during the fall when it moves into structures in search of shelter and food. The term "commensal" means "living with or in close association to humans." In addition, there are numerous other field rodents that seldom live indoors. 3) are the common commensal rodents found throughout New Mexico.
They live in and around homes, farms and commercial establishments, and on agricultural lands. Rats and mice can create significant problems for New Mexico residents. College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University (Print Friendly PDF)