Body: brown, with white belly, but can vary (see below)
A small, scaly-tailed mouse with a distinct notch in the cutting surface of upper incisor. ); hair short; ears moderately large and naked; upperparts ochraceous, suffused with black; belly buffy white, or buffy, usually without speckling and with slaty underfur; yellowish flank line usually present; tail brownish with black tip, not distinctly bicolor, but paler on underside; ears pale brown, feet drab or buffy, tips of toes white. External measurements average: total length, 169 mm; tail, 93 mm; hind foot, 18 mm. Weight of adults, 17-25 g. As commensal animals, house mice live in close association with man — in his houses, outbuildings, stores, and other structures. Where conditions permit, feral mice may be found in fields, along watercourses, and in other places where vegetation is dense enough to afford concealment. Although largely nocturnal, house mice are moderately active during the day, chiefly in their quest for food. As commensals, house mice feed on practically any type of food suitable for the use of man or beast.
