The house mouse has thin whiskers, narrow hind feet, and short, sharp claws; its long, slender, scantily haired tail and prominent, thinly furred ears appear naked, but on the rest of the body the fur is short and soft. In the wild House mice vary in color from grey and light brown to black (individual hairs are actually agouti colored), but domesticated fancy mice and laboratory mice are produced in many colors ranging from white to champagne to black. They have short hair and some, but not all, subspecies have light bellies. Besides humans, the House Mouse is probably one of the most successful living mammals, with a widespread distribution throughout Australia and the world.

The House Mouse lives mainly in urban areas, this animal is commonly found in houses, shops, malls, warehouses, factories, coal mines, and, occasionally, cold stores. Meanwhile, those in rural areas occupy farm buildings, rubbish tips, piggeries, poultry houses, granaries, and open fields. They typically construct their nests in secluded places such as woodpiles, beneath floors, or behind rafters. Some individuals spend the summer in fields and move into barns and houses with the onset of cool autumn weather. Because of their association with humans, house mice have been able inhabit inhospitable areas (such as tundra and desert) which they would not be able to occupy independently.