Florida Woodrat
Encyclopedia
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
. It has been recovered as a fossil
from late Pleistocene
deposits in southeastern New Mexico
, several hundred miles southwest of its nearest current range.
Neotoma magister was previously considered to be within N. floridana, but the two are now considered to be separate species.
As with most members of the genus, it feeds opportunistically on nuts, seeds
, fungi, buds, stems, root
s, foliage and fruit
s. In the southern states it often lives in holes in the ground or hollow tree
s, constructing large nest
s.
Predators include black rat snake
s and long-tailed weasel
s.
The Eastern Woodrat has four clawed digits and a thumb on the front limbs, and five clawed digits on its rear limbs.
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...
that is native to the central and eastern
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its range extends from the latitude of southeastern New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
south to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. It has been recovered as a fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
from late Pleistocene
Late Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. The beginning of the stage is defined by the base of the Eemian interglacial phase before the final glacial episode of the Pleistocene 126,000 ± 5,000 years ago. The end of the stage is defined exactly at 10,000 Carbon-14 years BP...
deposits in southeastern New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, several hundred miles southwest of its nearest current range.
Neotoma magister was previously considered to be within N. floridana, but the two are now considered to be separate species.
As with most members of the genus, it feeds opportunistically on nuts, seeds
SEEDS
SEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
, fungi, buds, stems, root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s, foliage and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s. In the southern states it often lives in holes in the ground or hollow tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, constructing large nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
s.
Predators include black rat snake
Black Rat Snake
The Western ratsnake — also called black rat snake, pilot black snake, or simply black snake — is a nonvenomous colubrid species found in North America. No subspecies are currently recognized....
s and long-tailed weasel
Long-tailed Weasel
The long-tailed weasel , also known as the bridled weasel or big stoat is a species of mustelid distributed from southern Canada throughout all the United States and Mexico, southward through all of Central America and into northern South America.-Evolution:The long-tailed weasel is the product of...
s.
The Eastern Woodrat has four clawed digits and a thumb on the front limbs, and five clawed digits on its rear limbs.