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 Rodents
House Mouse
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house mouse is the species of mouse everyone
thinks of when they hear the word mouse.
It is because they live in close association
with humans that they are one of the most
familiar small mammals to humans. House
mice are similar in size to our native
deer mouse but they are a solid grayish-brown
color above and below. Their tail is also
scaly like a Norway rat and not covered
with fur like the deer mouse. |
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House mice are occasionally found in fields,
but usually in buildings. They will eat most
anything and breed year round having as many
as a dozen litters a year of 5-8 young each.
Young are able to breed at six weeks. Because
this mouse chooses to live near humans, it is
considered a pest.
Norway Rat
This
rat lives both with man, and in the open
where vegetation is tall. It makes its
home principally in a basement or a burrow
under a sidewalk or outbuilding. It appears
to be most common around feed stores, chicken
houses and garbage dumps.
The
Norway Rat is more at home on the ground,
but has been seen crossing from one building
to another along a telephone wire, so it
is an excellent climber. Around poultry houses,
the rat feeds extensively on eggs and young
chickens. It has even been known to kill
lambs and young pigs! |
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The Norway Rat is a source of food for the spotted
skunk, barn owl and house cat, but because the
rat is such a prolific breeder, these predators
are often unable to keep the rat population in
check. This rat is known to be a reservoir of
bubonic plague, endemic typhus fever, rat bite
fever, and a few other dreaded diseases. Therefore,
buildings and garbage cans should be rat-proofed.
Roof
Rat
This
rat can either be black or brown in color,
seven to 10 inches long with a tail and
large ears and eyes. Its body is smaller
and sleeker than a Norway rat and its
fur is much smoother.
The
Roof Rat nests inside and under buildings,
or in piles of rubbish or wood. An excellent
climber, it can often be found in the
upper parts of structures. |
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They
will eat nearly anything but have shown preferences
for grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables. The
Roof Rat will become sexually mature at four
months and can have as many as many as forty-eight
young in its one year life cycle.
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