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Neotoma floridana smalli

(Eastern Woodrat)

Overview

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Endangered

Threat status

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Eastern Woodrat, Key Largo Woodrat

Description

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Physical Description

Species Neotoma floridana smalli

Size: The Eastern Wood Rat is a large rodent, 36 - 43 cm (14.2 - 16.9 in) in length . Color: Grayish brown fur on the back, lighter fur on the sides. White throat , belly, and feet. Hair-covered tail, black above and white below. Other things to look for: The Eastern Wood Rat has large rounded ears and bulging black eyes.

Habitat

A Wood Rat's nest is built under a pile of sticks , twigs , leaves, bark , bones, small rocks, dried grasses, bits of cactus, or virtually whatever else is available in its environment. People have been known to "lose" jewelry, watches, and other shiny objects from campsites and cabins near Wood Rat nests. The nest is large and conspicuous , generally 0.6 - 0.9 m (2 - 3 ft ) across and 0.6 m (2 ft) high. It may be built around a rock ledge or pile, at the base of or in a tree , in a fallen log , and in or under an abandoned automobile, piece of furniture, or house. The nest may be used by several generations of Wood Rats. The nest has several compartments, including a nest chamber lined with shredded bark and soft material which is used for shelter and for rearing young. Other chambers are used for storing food and for feeding.

Ecology:
List of Habitats : 1.5 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry

Biology

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Diet

The Eastern Wood Rat is mainly nocturnal when it forages for food. It eats the leaves of trees and shrubs , grasses, fruits, berries , nuts, tubers, mushrooms, and plant buds.

Reproduction

The Eastern Wood Rat may produce 2 - 3 litters a year in the southern portions of its range . After a gestation period (pregnancy) averaging 35 days, a litter of 1 - 6 young is born. The young attach themselves to the female's teats and cling so tightly that they are dragged along when the female leaves her nest . Young Wood Rats are weaned in 3 - 4 weeks and reach adult size in 8 months.

Behavior

Predators of the Eastern Wood Rat include snakes , skunks, the Coyote, foxes, hawks, and owls.

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: June 09, 2004.

Similar Species

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The Eastern Wood Rat can be easily distinguished from the non-native rats (the Norway Rat and the Black Rat) by the non-native rats' naked, scaly tail. The Eastern Wood Rat also has larger ears and white feet.

Members of the genus Neotoma

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 40 species and subspecies in this genus:

N. albigula (White-Throated Woodrat) · N. albigula albigula (White-Throated Woodrat) · N. albigula venusta (Colorado Valley Woodrat) · N. angustapalata (Tamaulipan Woodrat) · N. anthonyi (Anthony's Woodrat) · N. bryanti (Bryant's Woodrat) · N. bunkeri (Bunkers Woodrat) · N. chrysomelas (Nicaraguan Woodrat) · N. cinerea (Bushy-Talied Woodrat) · N. cinerea cinerea (Bushy-Tailed Woodrat) · N. devia (Arizona Woodrat) · N. floridana (Key Largo Woodrat) · N. floridana baileyi (Bailey's Eastern Woodrat) · N. floridana floridana (Eastern Woodrat) · N. floridana haematoreia (Southern Appalachian Eastern Woodrat) · N. floridana illinoensis (Eastern Woodrat) · N. floridana smalli (Eastern Woodrat) · N. fuscipes (San Joaquin Valley Woodrat) · N. fuscipes annectens (San Francisco Dusky-Footed Woodrat) · N. fuscipes fuscipes (Dusky-Footed Woodrat) · N. fuscipes luciana (Monterey Dusky-Footed Woodrat) · N. fuscipes riparia (San Joaquin Valley Wood Rat) · N. goldmani (Goldman's Woodrat) · N. lepida (Desert Woodrat) · N. lepida intermedia (Desert Woodrat) · N. lepida lepida (Desert Woodrat) · N. leucodon (White-Toothed Woodrat) · N. macrotis (Big-Eared Woodrat) · N. magister (Allegheny Woodrat) · N. martinensis (San Martin Island Woodrat) · N. mexicana (Mexican Woodrat) · N. mexicana mexicana (Mexican Woodrat) · N. micropus (Southern Plains Woodrat) · N. micropus leucophaea (Southern Plains Woodrat) · N. micropus micropus (Southern Plains Woodrat) · N. nelsoni (Nelson's Woodrat) · N. palatina (Bolano's Woodrat) · N. phenax (Sonoran Woodrat) · N. stephensi (Stephens's Woodrat) · N. varia (Turner Island Woodrat)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Last Revised: 2012-07-14