Facts

  • Based on physical appearance, the dusky-footed woodrat is almost identical to the Old World rats (Website of Everything, 2011).   Neotoma Fuscipes annectens.
  • The dusky-footed wood rat and its relatives in the genus Neotoma are sometimes called pack rats, trade rats, bush rats, and cave rats (Bonadio, 2000).  
  • Dust bathing is a common practice of the dusky-footed wood rat. This process involves spreading the four legs and drawing and pushing the abdomen against the dry soil. This process makes them feel relaxed (Bonadio, 2000).  
  • The Neotoma genus are called packrats because they hoard things, like shiny objects. Woodrats are also called “Trade rats” because when they find a new “treasure,” like a shiny object from humans, they will leave whatever they had before and pick up the new item (National Wildlife Federation, 2012).  
  • Dusky- footed woodrats are the “architects of the mammalian world” (Website of Everything, 2011).  
  • Dusky-footed Woodrats are found only in areas with a lot of underlying brush (Website of Everything, 2011).  
  • Dusky-footed woodrats are undoubtedly an important contributor to the richness and abundance of the wildlife in California oak woodland (Website of Everything, 2011).  
  • Dusky-footed woodrats are most likely to be found living in trees or remnants of trees (Website of Everything, 2011).
  • Wood rats live in permanent homes (Wallen, 1982)
  • They live in small communities (Wallen, 1982)
  • Unlike commonly believed the wood rat is promiscuous not polygamous (M.B. McEachern, et. al. 2009)
  • Range from California and western Oregon (Dusky-footed Wood rat)
  • The females are intolerant of males once they become pregnant and will become violent with them if needed to keep the males away (Neotoma Fuscipes: Dusky-footed wood rat)

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Gabriella Tuminello and Emma Conway of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Bio 203 - Spring 2014