Species · GBIF taxon 2438437
Bushy-tailed Woodrat
Neotoma cinereaAlso known as Packrat, Pack Rat, Mountain Woodrat
Bushy-tailed woodrats are easily recognized by their remarkably soft, squirrel-like tails and large, sensitive ears. Famous for their obsessive collecting habits, they gather shiny objects, bones, and foliage to construct massive, cemented nests called middens that can persist for thousands of years. These nocturnal rodents are highly agile climbers, navigating steep cliffs and rocky talus slopes with ease.
NocturnalAlpineNest-builder
- diet
- Herbivorous (leaves, conifer needles, twigs, seeds, berries, and fungi)
- family
- Cricetidae
- threats
- Habitat loss, climate change in alpine zones, and rodenticides
- life Span
- 3 to 4 years in the wild
LC
Can deliver a painful defensive bite and carry disease vectors; avoid handling and wear gloves around middens.
Can carry hantavirus in their droppings and urine, and their nests can harbor plague-carrying fleas.
Do not handle live woodrats or disturb their middens without respiratory protection and gloves.- Look for middens: Search rocky crevices and caves for large, cemented piles of sticks, bones, and debris.
- Secure shiny objects: Keep keys, jewelry, and foil packed away when camping in their territory.
- Observe quietly at dusk: Use a red-light headlamp to spot them active on rocky ledges after sunset.