What are the proper names for mice and rats? - briefly
The standard English term for the small rodent is mouse, scientifically Mus musculus («Mus musculus»); the larger counterpart is rat, scientifically Rattus norvegicus («Rattus norvegicus»).
What are the proper names for mice and rats? - in detail
The precise terminology for the small rodent commonly called a mouse and the larger relative known as a rat varies between scientific, agricultural, and colloquial contexts.
In scientific literature the mouse is identified as Mus musculus, the house mouse, while the rat is classified as Rattus norvegicus, the brown rat, and Rattus rattus, the black rat. These Latin designations provide unambiguous reference across disciplines.
In everyday English the term «mouse» applies to any member of the family Muridae that is diminutive in size, whereas «rat» denotes larger Muridae species. The distinction is reinforced by size thresholds: animals under approximately 100 grams are generally called mice, those exceeding that limit are referred to as rats.
Professional fields employ specialized names:
- Veterinary and laboratory settings: «laboratory mouse» for Mus musculus, «laboratory rat» for Rattus norvegicus.
- Pest‑control industry: «house mouse» and «house rat» to indicate synanthropic species that inhabit human dwellings.
- Culinary contexts: «field mouse» for wild species harvested for food, «civet rat» for certain African rodents used in traditional dishes.
Regional variations affect common usage. In British English «field mouse» may describe the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus, while in North America the same term often refers to the deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus. Similarly, the term «ship rat» is used for Rattus Rattus in maritime settings.
When precision is required, the scientific name should be employed. For regulatory documents, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature mandates the Latin binomial, ensuring consistency across international borders.
Overall, the correct names depend on context: scientific communication prefers Latin binomials, while everyday language distinguishes the two rodents by size and habitat, using «mouse» for smaller species and «rat» for larger ones.