Dusky-footed Woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes)

About Dusky-footed Woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes)

• Kingdom: Animals
• Phylum: Chordates
• Class: Mammals
• Order: Rodents
• Family: Hamsters, New World Rats and Mice, Muskrats, Voles

The dusky-footed woodrat is a species of nocturnal rodent in the family Cricetidae. Nicknames include "packrats" or "trade rats" because of their tendency to hoard things, build large domed dens, and "trade" by dropping then picking up another object for it. Coyotes and other predators will attempt to prey on these rodents by laying waste to the dens, but the sheer volume of material is usually dissuasive. Occasionally, dusky-footed woodrats will build satellite dens in trees. Although these animals are solitary, except in the mating season, dens are frequently found in clusters of up to several dozen, forming rough "communities". The mating system in this species appears to be variable, with promiscuity most generally at high population densities and monogamy at lower densities.

Source: Wikipedia