Bushy-tailed Woodrat - Neotoma cinerea
Global Rank:
G5
State Rank:
S5
Agency Status
USFWS:
none
USFS:
none
BLM:
none
CFWCS Tier:
3
General Description
The bushy-tailed woodrat (the legendary pack rat of western stories) grows to approximately 15 inches and 11 ounces in Montana. Together with its flat, squirrel-like tail, long full whiskers, large hairless ears, and protruding eyes, its size makes it easy to recognize. Its coloring is lead gray on the back and outside and white, pinkish or buff on the feet, ears, and belly (Foresman 2001). It may also have black or dark brown hairs on the back, giving it a darker appearance. Juveniles can have blue-gray fur on top (Kritzman 1977).
Distribution
Montana Range
Observations in Montana: 319
Montana CountiesBeaverhead, Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Phillips, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Rosebud, Sanders, Sweet Grass, Teton, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Yellowstone
Migration
Non-migratory.
Habitat
Occurs in crevices where there are large amounts of sticks, leaves & other debris used to build nest. Rockslides, rocky slopes, abandoned homesites, badlands. Occas. lodges nest in tree forks high above ground (Hoffmann and Pattie 1968, Adelman 1979, Dood 1980).
Food Habits
Evidently not extremely selective in its diet of foliage, fruits and seeds of shrubs & forbs, conifer & fungi. Stores food for winter consumption (vegetation) (Jones et al. 1983).
Ecology
A noisly pest in cabins sometimes - rummages around pilfer- ing small items. May drop an item to take a desirable item. Builds nest of sticks, bones, etc. (Jones et al. 1983).
Reproductive Characteristics
MT breeding season not known. May span the warmer months, or may be more restricted. In N latitudes possibly only 1 litter produced/year (Jones et al. 1983).
Citations & Sources
- Burt, W. H. and R. P. Grossenheider. 1964. A field guide to the mammals. 2nd edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA.
- Foresman, K.R. 2001. The wild mammals of Montana. Special Publication No. 12. American Society of Mammalogists
- Kritzman, Ellen B. 1977. Little mammals of the Pacific Northwest. Pacific Search Press, Seattle, WA.
- Zeveloff, S. I. 1988. Mammals of the Intermountain West. Univ. of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah.