What is a mouse with a long tail called? - briefly
A mouse with an unusually elongated tail is commonly referred to as a long‑tailed mouse, a descriptive label rather than a distinct taxonomic name. For instance, the African pygmy mouse (Mus minutoides) displays a proportionally long tail.
What is a mouse with a long tail called? - in detail
A rodent whose tail exceeds the length of its body is commonly referred to as a “long‑tailed mouse.” The designation applies to several species within the family Muridae that display a tail‑to‑body ratio greater than one.
Typical examples include:
- Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) – tail length 100–120 % of head‑body length, fur on tail sparsely haired.
- White‑footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) – tail proportion similar to deer mouse, often used in laboratory research.
- Long‑tailed mouse (Pseudomys australis) – native to Australia, tail length 110–130 % of body, darker dorsal coloration.
These rodents differ from rats (genus Rattus) in several respects. Rats possess thicker, scaly tails with a lower fur density, and their tail length typically ranges from 70 to 100 % of body length. Mus species (house mice) have tails roughly equal to body length, while the listed long‑tailed species exceed that proportion.
Taxonomic classification:
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Muridae
- Subfamily: Murinae
- Genera: Peromyscus, Pseudomys, others
Morphological traits that justify the “long‑tailed” label:
- Tail length > body length
- Sparse fur covering, allowing greater flexibility
- Enhanced balance for arboreal or agile terrestrial locomotion
In scientific literature, the term “long‑tailed mouse” serves as a common name rather than a formal taxonomic rank. Researchers use it to distinguish species with pronounced tail length from typical house mice and from larger rodents such as rats.