House Mouse

North American Deer Mouse

White-Footed Mouse

Meadow Jumping Mouse

Western Harvest Mouse

Northern Grasshopper Mouse

Brown/Common Rat

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The house mouse is known for having a pointy snout and large, rounded ears. In the wild, their fur can vary between grey, light brown, and black. Their tails can measure between 2-4 inches in length.

Length (without tail): 3-4 inches

Weight: 10-25 grams

Lifespan: 1-6 years

Average Vertical Jump: 1-1.5 feet

The house mouse is one of the most widespread mammals around the globe. They inhabit every continent except Antarctica. These mice can be solitary or social animals. Their social groups are made up of one male, multiple females, and their young. Like any mouse, its sole purpose is to forage for food, but the house mouse stays around 30 feet from its nest to find food. They are territorial and will defend their 30-foot area from other mice and intruders.

Habitat Range Map

Like every mouse, they mate all year round. They mate more often in the warmer months between late spring and early fall. They reach sexual maturity at 5-7 weeks old.

Pregnancy duration: 19-21 days

Baby carrying: 5-6 pups

Number of litters (per year): 5-10

The name ‘deer mouse’ comes from their color resemblance to deer, featuring camouflaging brown or gray fur on top, while the belly and legs are white. Deer mice that live in prairie habitats, as opposed to wooded ones, have evolved shorter tails because they do not need them for climbing; consequently, their tail lengths vary from 1.8 to 4.0 inches.

Length (without tail): 3-4 inches

Weight: 10-24 grams

Life Span: 1.5-8 years

Average Vertical Jump: 1-1.5 feet

During the day, deer mice in wooded areas often nest high in trees, as they are notoriously good climbers; however, those in prairie habitats typically choose to make burrows in the ground. These mice live in social groups of over 10 mice. The groups contain one adult male, multiple females, and their young. They huddle together in insulated nests to stay warm during winter.

Habitat Range Map

Male deer mice will mate with multiple females over the course of a year. A mouse, once born, takes around 49-56 days for a male to become sexually mature, and just 35 days for a female.

Pregnancy duration: 22-30 days

Baby carrying: 4-6 pups

Number of litters (per year): 3-4

White-footed mice are commonly mistaken for deer mice. A few key differences are their larger hind feet and the smoother, more blended coloring of their tails compared to that of a deer mouse. Their tails are quite long and can measure 2-4 inches. Both mice can vary in color going from brown and gray.

Length (without tail): 3-4 inches

Weight: 20-30 grams

Lifespan: 1-3 years

Average Vertical Jump: 3-4 feet

These mice are mostly solitary animals and extremely territorial. Similar to the deer mouse, they are also very good climbers. They commonly take over empty bird nests and spend much of their time in trees, or inside homes to stay warm in winter. These mice are also great trackers, able to find their way back home from over 2 miles away. They mostly live in heavily wooded or grassy areas.

Habitat Range Map

Similar to the deer mouse, white-footed mice also have males that mate with multiple females throughout the year. They become sexually active 44 days after being born.

Pregnancy duration: 22-28 days

Baby carrying: 2 to 9 pups

Number of litters (per year): 2-4

This mouse is easy to identify. They have large hind feet and a long tail. The tail can grow to be between 4-10 inches long. Although the color of its fur varies, there is always a dark brown stripe on its back, and its sides are usually orange or bright yellow. Its underbelly is similar to that of a deer mouse, being completely white, with white and pink feet.

Length (without tail): 3-4 inches

Weight: 12-30 grams

Lifespan: 1-5 years

Average vertical jump: 3 feet

These mice have a very large range throughout North America. They inhabit ecosystems such as wetlands, mountains, and grasslands. Although solitary, these mice do not act territorially by fighting off other individuals. Uncommon for most mice, this species hibernates in the winter, starting from late September to mid-April or May.

Habitat Range Map

Males emerge from hibernation first, quickly feeding before becoming sexually active. As soon as females wake up, they start breeding. Their nests are usually underground burrows lined with leaves and grasses, which they use for hibernation. Mice become sexually active 28 to 33 days after birth.

Pregnancy duration: 18 days

Baby carrying: 2-9 pups

Number of litters (per year): 2-3

This mouse has a somewhat similar coloration to the deer mouse. They are smaller in size and have a more yellow or yellowish-brown color. Their tails are slightly shorter, as well (2-3 inches long). Their colors can also frequently change depending on the weather and the season.

Length (without tail): 2-3 inches

Weight: 8-17 grams

Lifespan: <1 year

Average vertical jump: 1-1.5 feet

Unlike most mice, which are active all year round and do not hibernate, this mouse enters a state of ‘temporary hibernation’ or torpor, for short. Lowering their body temperature and metabolism allows them to survive without food for longer periods. Like most mice, they are also prolific climbers, building nests off the ground and underground burrows, under trees, logs and plants. Their habitat spreads across most of western North America, meaning they can live in many different environments, from grasslands and woodlands to mountains and wetlands.

Habitat Range Map

They breed from early spring to late fall. Most nests are built on the ground inside a shrub or fallen tree so they are protected from predators. Throughout the breeding season, a female mouse can have up to 40-60 young. The pups become sexually active after 3 weeks.

Pregnancy duration: 25 days

Baby carrying: 1-9

Number of litters (per year): 10-14

These mice are commonly misidentified as white-footed mice due to their similar gray fur color. However, by looking at their tail length, you can see that the grasshopper mouse has a much shorter tail (1.3 to 2.5 inches). It weighs close to 2 times as much as the white-footed mouse due to their protein-rich diet contributing to their muscle growth.

Length (without tail): 2-4 inches

Weight: 42 grams

Lifespan: 1 year

Average vertical jump: 1-2 feet

Northern grasshopper mice are unique. Unlike other mice that are herbivores, these mice are carnivorous, eating mostly insects like grasshoppers, worms, moths, and butterflies. They have also been known to eat other mice! They are extremely territorial and will attack other rival males. These mice live in burrows in the ground, as well as in prairie lands and grasslands with sandy or gravel soil.

Habitat Range Map

Their breeding season runs from March through August. Once they find a mate, the male and female bond together and take care of the young together. The male grasshopper mouse will hunt and gather food to feed the female while she feeds their young. This type of courtship is extremely rare for a mouse species. The mice reach their sexual maturity at 3 months.

Pregnancy duration: 31 days

Baby carrying: 2-7

Number of litters (per year): 2-3

Their fur color varies from brown to brownish-grey. Their bellies can be pale gray or yellowish. Their naked tail is also pale brown and can measure 5 to 8 inches in length.

Length (without tail): 8-10 inches

Weight: 250-350 grams

Lifespan: 2-4 years

Average Vertical Jump: 3 feet

Like the house mouse, this rodent also lives all around the world. They live on the ground and create burrows underground to make nests. They are commonly known as water rats because they often live in places near water including sewers. This is where most of the rats found in Minnesota live. Rats inhabit the old sewer system underneath Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Living in the suburbs makes you safe; you don’t need to worry about rats getting inside your home. Rats are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for 3 minutes and tread water for up to 3 days straight. They often live in groups made up of a hierarchy structure. Each group occupies and defends its territory from other rat colonies.

Habitat Range Map

Female rats that live inside colonies take part in collective nursing, assisting other mothers with feeding their offspring. The age for sexual maturity is 3 months old for males and 4 months old for females.

Pregnancy duration: 22-24 days

Baby carrying: 8 pups

Number of litters (per year): 7

Are you interested in keeping mice out of your house?

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If you have any questions, concerns or want to schedule an appointment 

Call Us Today! 952-404-BOGO (2646)