The house mouse is a delicate, agile, little rodent. It has a slightly pointed nose; relatively small feet; small, black, somewhat protruding eyes; large, sparsely-haired ears; and a nearly hairless tail about as long as its body, with obvious scale rings. They vary in colour but are generally grayish-brown throughout with a gray or buff belly.
The house mouse is not native to North America. It originated from Asia, arriving and travelling across North America with settlers from Europe and elsewhere.
A very adaptive species, the house mouse depends upon man for shelter and food, particularly in cooler climates, and this close association with humans classifies it as a “commensal rodent” (like the Norway rat).