Roof rats

• A. Tail shorter than head & body; small ears, blunt nose
• B. Tail longer than head and body; large ears, pointed nose
• C. Tail length is the same as head and body; tiny ears
• D. Tail is prehensile; round nose

Answer: (B)

Roof rats are slender, agile climbers, and a key identifying feature is their tail length, ear size, and nose shape. The description of a tail longer than the head and body, with large ears and a pointed nose, matches how roof rats look: a long, balancing tail helps them move through vertical spaces, ears that are relatively large for their head, and a pointed snout.

The other descriptions don’t fit roof rats. A tail shorter than the body with a blunt nose and small ears is more characteristic of Norway rats. A tail about the same length as the body with tiny ears doesn’t match the typical roof rat profile, which has noticeably larger ears. A prehensile tail with a round nose isn’t consistent with roof rats, which don’t grasp with their tails and have a more pointed snout.