The white-footed mouse or deer mouse is a native species with white feet, white or light-coloured undersides, and brownish upper surfaces. The tail is distinctly bi-coloured; the upper portions brown or gray, the underside white, with a well-defined line where the two colours meet.
White-footed mice are about the same size as, or slightly larger than house mice and, at a distance, may be confused with house mice. The bi-coloured tail differentiates one from the other. In comparison to house mice, white-footed mice have larger eyes and ears. They are considered by most people to be more “attractive” than house mice, and they do not have the characteristic mousy or musky odour of house mice.