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In the U.S., the numbers of rats and mice used are not reported, but estimates range from around 11 million [3] to approximately 100 million. [4] In 2000, the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, published the results of an analysis of its Rats/Mice/and Birds Database: Researchers, Breeders, Transporters, and Exhibitors.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 24 January 2025. Order of mammals Rodent Temporal range: Late Paleocene – recent Pre๊ ๊ O S D C P T J K Pg N Capybara Springhare Golden-mantled ground squirrel North American beaver House mouse Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Mirorder ...
Rats are bigger than most Old World mice, which are their relatives, but seldom weigh over 500 grams (1.1 lb) in the wild. Taxonomy of Rattus The genus Rattus is a member of the giant subfamily Murinae .
Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size. Usually the common name of a large muroid rodent will include the word "rat", while a smaller muroid's name will include "mouse". The common terms rat and mouse are not taxonomically specific. There are 56 known species of rats in the world. [1]
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species.Members of this subfamily are called murines.In terms of species richness, this subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the rodents.
Like pet rats, pet mice should not be left unsupervised outside as they have many natural predators, including (but not limited to) birds, snakes, lizards, cats, and dogs. Male mice tend to have a stronger odor than the females. However, mice are careful groomers and as pets they never need bathing. Well looked-after mice can make ideal pets.
The New World rats and mice are often considered part of a single subfamily, Sigmodontinae, but the recent trend among muroid taxonomists is to recognize three separate subfamilies. This strategy better represents the extreme diversity of species numbers and ecological types.
A print showing cats and mice from a 1501 German edition of Aesop's fables Murids feature in literature, including folk tales and fairy stories. In the Pied Piper of Hamelin , retold in many versions since the 14th century, including one by the Brothers Grimm , a rat-catcher lures the town's rats into the river, but the mayor refuses to pay him.