Species · GBIF taxon 2438095
Marsh Rice Rat
Oryzomys palustrisAlso known as Rice Rat, Marsh Rat, Eastern Rice Rat
Marsh rice rats are highly skilled semiaquatic rodents that navigate the dense vegetation of coastal salt marshes and freshwater swamps with ease. They are excellent swimmers, using their specialized fringed hind feet as paddles and their long tails as rudders to forage both above and below the water surface. Active primarily at night, they construct intricate spherical nests of woven grasses suspended in marsh vegetation or tucked safely inside crab burrows.
SemiaquaticNocturnalWetland-Dwelling
- diet
- Omnivorous, feeding on insects, crabs, snails, seeds, and marsh plants
- family
- Cricetidae
- threats
- Coastal development, wetland drainage, sea-level rise, and invasive predators
- life Span
- Less than one year in the wild
LC
Can deliver a painful bite if handled and may carry zoonotic diseases like Bayou virus.
Can carry Bayou virus, a hantavirus strain transmissible to humans through contact with saliva, urine, or droppings.
Never attempt to trap, handle, or corner these rodents, and avoid disturbing their nests in coastal areas.- Look for runways: Search for narrow, cleared paths through dense marsh grass where they travel.
- Listen at twilight: Listen for quiet rustling and high-pitched squeaks in the reeds during dusk.
- Keep your distance: Avoid handling wild rodents to prevent defensive bites and exposure to pathogens.