Pooka,
"Taupe" may very well refer to a mole, but I'm pretty sure it can also refer to a mouse.

FWIW, "topo" in Italiano means "mouse."  [Mickey Mouse, e.g., in Roma is "Topolino"--little mouse, and many of us remember Topo Gigio from the Ed Sullivan show.]

Bob B, You're right that "souris" means mouse in French, but I could swear that you also can use "taupe," although it may be a less specific term for small rodents.  [Some languages don't distinguish among rodents as much as English does.  E.g., they may use the same word for "rat" and "mouse," and maybe "mole" as well. I've also heard some French speakers use "raton" for "mouse," though it may more appropriately refer to a rat.  A racoon [sp?] is sometimes called a "raton laveur" or "washer rat."]

I don't have my French dictionary with me right now, so I'll have to do futher research on this later unless there's a French expert Chat-de-[however you say "Mud" in French] out there who beats me to it.

Genie