The ears are furred, and do not project much above the hair. Young are uniformly gray. Meadow mice have other common names, including round moles, field mice and meadow moles. These terms frequently lead to confusion in identification. It is important that small mammals be identified correctly before starting control activities, since materials or methods effective against one species may not be useful against another.
People frequently confuse meadow mice with moles, shrews and pine mice.
Moles have greatly enlarged front feet with prominent digging claws. Shrews have long, pointed snouts and pointed front teeth. Meadow mice have rounded, somewhat blunt, snouts, and their front teeth are chisel-shaped. The distinction between meadow and pine mice is less obvious. The best way to compare them is by hind foot and tail length.