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DR. CHILDS: The Deer Mouse is a deceptively cute animal. With big eyes and big ears and it's normally about 2-3 inches in length in terms of it's body and head and its tail which is also 2-3 inches in length. It comes in a variety of colors depending on it's age, which ranges from a grey to a reddish brown. It has a white underbelly and a tail which has sharply demarcated white sides. (Movie of Deer Mouse and Cotton Rat: 30 seconds - QuickTime MOV 3.5MB - Windows AVI 4.6MB)

The Cotton Rat has a larger body than the Deer Mouse and typically it's head and body measure from 5-7 inches with a 3 or 4 inch long tail. The fur is longer and coarser and is typically of the color grayish brown and can even approach grayish black.

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This page last reviewed February 28, 2000.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases
Special Pathogens Branch