Rats and Mice

[deckardcanine]

You know that rats are heavier, at least when they grow up,
But can you tell a big mouse from a rat that’s still a pup?
It’s easier to answer if there’s blackness in the fur,
For unlike white and gray and brown, in mice, it won’t occur.
The young rat’s head looks shorter, but it’s also rather broad,
Not pointy, and much bigger in relation to its bod --
Quite fitting for an infant, and the feet are bigger too,
Especially on the hind legs; they don’t grow like mice’s do.
The ears, tho, are proportionally smaller for the rat
And not as prone to floppiness. (I won’t describe the scat.)
The mouse’s tail’s as long as, if not longer than, the rest.
The rat’s is thick and scaly with a little hair at best.
The mouse has longer whiskers and is more inclined to climb.
I know some more distinctions, but I’m running short of time.