Allegheny woodrat
Encyclopedia
The Allegheny woodrat, Neotoma magister, is a species
of "pack rat
" in the genus Neotoma. Once believed to be a subspecies of the Eastern Woodrat or Florida Woodrat
, Neotoma floridana, extensive DNA analysis has proven it to be a distinct species.
more than the Norway Rat. It is the second largest member of the native North American rats and can weigh up to a pound, roughly the size of an eastern gray squirrel
. Typical or average size is about 325-375 grams for an adult. An adult woodrat ranges about 15 to 18 inches in length whereas 7 to 8 inches of this is tail. The fur is long, soft, and brownish-gray or cinnamon in color, while the undersides and feet are white. They have large eyes, naked ears, and long whiskers. Its most distinguishing feature is its tail: while the tails of European rats are naked with only slightly visible hairs, the woodrat's tail is completely furred with hairs about one-third of an inch long and predominantly black above and white beneath.
". These rats form small colonies in which their nesting areas consist of a network of underground runways and many conspicuous latrines. Latrines are large fecal piles the rats deposit on protected flat rocks. In some cases, researchers have found dried leaves placed around the nesting area which appear to act as alarms to warn the rats of approaching danger.
Unlike their cousins, the Allegheny Woodrat is not a prolific breeder, averaging only one to three young per litter (average in one Virginia study was 2) and generally have one or sometimes two litters per year ideal conditions. Their gestation period is usually 30 to 37 days and are weaned within a month's time. In the wild, the Allegheny Woodrat has been known to live up to three years. Researchers in Virginia and West Virginia have documented longevity up to 54 months in the wild although 1–2 years is typical.
Although the Allegheny Woodrat is not federally listed, it is in major decline and is state listed.
In parts of their range (New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), the Allegheny Woodrat population has been in decline over the past thirty years. They have been extipated from Connecticut, New York and parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. The reasons for the decline is not yet entirely understood but is believed to be caused by a combination of factors. The first reason is a parasite, the raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris
procyonis, which is almost always fatal to the Woodrat. The raccoon, which easily adapts to environmental change, and has thrived in the traditional woodrat habitat, increasing infection by the parasite, which enters the woodrat because it eats the plant and seed material in the raccoon's feces. Another frequently cited cause is severe defoliation of American chestnut
s caused by chestnut blight
and of oak
s by an invasion of gypsy moth
s (lowering available supplies of acorns for the woodrat). Predation by Great Horned Owl
s has also been cited. Finally, increased human encroachment causes fragmentation and destruction of the woodrat's habitat.
Indiana's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program currently monitors status, distribution and population. They are also conducting field searches for new localities and research to identify the factors for decline.
New Jersey's Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program supported research by Kathleen LoGiudice. She developed a drug to be distributed through bait that the raccoons would eat, disrupting the growth and shedding of the roundworm parasite for about 3 weeks, effectively reducing the disposition of roundworm eggs near woodrat nesting sites and therefore reducing the threat of the parasite in woodrats.
Pennsylvania is conducting a 3 year study partially funded by a Game and Commission State Wildlife Grant and being led by Indiana University of Pennsylvania in an attempt to shed light on the daily and seasonal movements of woodrats, identify high quality woodrat habitat, and learn whether providing food caches can boost a population. Their work will include radio-telemetry, DNA profiling and mark-recapture trapping.
Maryland's Dept. of Natural Resources conducts trappings and surveys to study the Woodrat's habitat.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of "pack rat
Pack rat
A packrat, also called a woodrat, can be any of the species in the rodent genus Neotoma. Packrats have a rat-like appearance, with long tails, large ears and large black eyes. Compared to deer mice, harvest mice and grasshopper mice, packrats are noticeably larger and are usually somewhat larger...
" in the genus Neotoma. Once believed to be a subspecies of the Eastern Woodrat or Florida Woodrat
Florida Woodrat
The Eastern Woodrat ', is a species of pack rat that is native to the central and eastern United States. Its range extends from the latitude of southeastern New York south to the Gulf of Mexico...
, Neotoma floridana, extensive DNA analysis has proven it to be a distinct species.
Description
The Allegheny woodrat is a medium-sized rodent resembling an oversized White-footed MouseWhite-footed mouse
White-footed Mouse is a rodent native to North America. It ranges from Ontario, Quebec, Labrador and the Maritime Provinces to the southwest USA and Mexico. It is also known as the Woodmouse, particularly in Texas.Adults are in length, not counting the tail, which can add another . A young adult...
more than the Norway Rat. It is the second largest member of the native North American rats and can weigh up to a pound, roughly the size of an eastern gray squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada...
. Typical or average size is about 325-375 grams for an adult. An adult woodrat ranges about 15 to 18 inches in length whereas 7 to 8 inches of this is tail. The fur is long, soft, and brownish-gray or cinnamon in color, while the undersides and feet are white. They have large eyes, naked ears, and long whiskers. Its most distinguishing feature is its tail: while the tails of European rats are naked with only slightly visible hairs, the woodrat's tail is completely furred with hairs about one-third of an inch long and predominantly black above and white beneath.
Habitat
The Allegheny Woodrat prefers rocky outcrops associated with mountain ridges such as cliffs, caves, talus slopes, and even mines. This is mostly true for Pennsylvania and Maryland. In Virginia and West Virginia, woodrats are found on ridges but also on side slopes in caves and talus (boulders and breakdown) fields. The surrounding forest is usually deciduous.Diet
The Allegheny Woodrat's diet primarily consists of plant materials including buds, leaves, stems, fruits, seeds, acorns and other nuts. They store their food in caches and eat about five percent of their body weight a day.Life history
Nocturnal, the Allegheny Woodrat spends its nights foraging, collecting food and nesting materials, very rarely traveling more than 150 feet from its home range. They also collect and store various non-food items such as bottle caps, snail shells, coins, gun cartridges, feathers and bones. This trait is responsible for the nickname "trade" or "pack ratPack rat
A packrat, also called a woodrat, can be any of the species in the rodent genus Neotoma. Packrats have a rat-like appearance, with long tails, large ears and large black eyes. Compared to deer mice, harvest mice and grasshopper mice, packrats are noticeably larger and are usually somewhat larger...
". These rats form small colonies in which their nesting areas consist of a network of underground runways and many conspicuous latrines. Latrines are large fecal piles the rats deposit on protected flat rocks. In some cases, researchers have found dried leaves placed around the nesting area which appear to act as alarms to warn the rats of approaching danger.
Unlike their cousins, the Allegheny Woodrat is not a prolific breeder, averaging only one to three young per litter (average in one Virginia study was 2) and generally have one or sometimes two litters per year ideal conditions. Their gestation period is usually 30 to 37 days and are weaned within a month's time. In the wild, the Allegheny Woodrat has been known to live up to three years. Researchers in Virginia and West Virginia have documented longevity up to 54 months in the wild although 1–2 years is typical.
Predators
Predators include owls, skunks, weasels, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, large snakes, and humans. At one point, the Allegheny rat was hunted for food and sometimes killed due to false identification based on its resemblance of more problematic European rats.Distribution and status
Distribution mainly occurs along the Appalachian Mountain range. Historically found as far north as Connecticut where it is now extinct, southeastern New York (near extinct), northern New Jersey, and northern Pennsylvania southwestward through western Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, northern and western Virginia to northeastern Alabama and northwestern North Carolina with isolated populations north of the Ohio River in southern Ohio and southern Indiana. The Tennessee River is generally accepted as the southern range limit.Although the Allegheny Woodrat is not federally listed, it is in major decline and is state listed.
| State | Status |
|---|---|
| AL | Threatened |
| CT | Extirpated – extinct – special concern |
| GA | Threatened |
| IN | Endangered |
| KY | Apparently Secure |
| MD | Endangered |
| MA | Expirated – extinct |
| NC | Endangered |
| NJ | Endangered |
| NY | Endangered |
| OH | Endangered |
| PA | Threatened |
| TN | Threatened |
| VA | Threatened |
| WV | Threatened |
Causes and management of decline
Baylisascaris
Baylisascaris is a genus of roundworms that infest more than fifty animal species.-Life cycle:Baylisascaris eggs are passed in feces and become active within a month. They can remain viable in the environment for years, withstanding heat and cold...
procyonis, which is almost always fatal to the Woodrat. The raccoon, which easily adapts to environmental change, and has thrived in the traditional woodrat habitat, increasing infection by the parasite, which enters the woodrat because it eats the plant and seed material in the raccoon's feces. Another frequently cited cause is severe defoliation of American chestnut
American Chestnut
The American Chestnut is a large, deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. Before the species was devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range...
s caused by chestnut blight
Chestnut blight
The pathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica is a member of the ascomycota category, and is the main cause of chestnut blight, a devastating disease of the American chestnut tree that caused a mass extinction in the early 1900s of this once plentiful tree from its historic range in the eastern...
and of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s by an invasion of gypsy moth
Gypsy moth
The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is a moth in the family Lymantriidae of Eurasian origin. Originally ranging from Europe to Asia, it was introduced to North America in the late 1860s and has been expanding its range ever since...
s (lowering available supplies of acorns for the woodrat). Predation by Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
s has also been cited. Finally, increased human encroachment causes fragmentation and destruction of the woodrat's habitat.
Indiana's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program currently monitors status, distribution and population. They are also conducting field searches for new localities and research to identify the factors for decline.
New Jersey's Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program supported research by Kathleen LoGiudice. She developed a drug to be distributed through bait that the raccoons would eat, disrupting the growth and shedding of the roundworm parasite for about 3 weeks, effectively reducing the disposition of roundworm eggs near woodrat nesting sites and therefore reducing the threat of the parasite in woodrats.
Pennsylvania is conducting a 3 year study partially funded by a Game and Commission State Wildlife Grant and being led by Indiana University of Pennsylvania in an attempt to shed light on the daily and seasonal movements of woodrats, identify high quality woodrat habitat, and learn whether providing food caches can boost a population. Their work will include radio-telemetry, DNA profiling and mark-recapture trapping.
Maryland's Dept. of Natural Resources conducts trappings and surveys to study the Woodrat's habitat.
External links
- "Allegheny Woodrat Fact Sheet" at dec.ny.gov
- "Have You Discovered a Woodrat?" at dickinson.edu