COTTON RAT 



Food. — Stems, foliage, and seeds of plants, grasses and 

 meadow growths; cultivated crops. 



Enemies. — Snakes, Hawks, Owls, Weasels, Foxes and other 

 small carnivores. 



Species and Subspecies of the Genus Sigmodon 



Hispidus Group 



Northern Cotton Rat; Eastern Cotton Rat. — Sigmodon hispi- 

 dus hispidus Say and Ord. 

 As described above. Found in "North Carolina to northern 

 Florida and west to southern Louisiana, in Austroriparian 

 Zone." (Bailey) 



Florida Cotton Rat. — Sigmodon hispidus littoralis Chapman, 

 Larger, darker, and with coarser pelage than typical 

 hispidus; upperparts grizzled dark gray and black ; feet dark 

 gray; upperside of tail black. Total length, 11.3 inches; 

 tail vertebrce, 4.6 inches; hind foot, 1.3 inches. Found in 

 "Eastern part of the peninsula of Florida, from Lake Harney 

 to the Everglades." (Bailey) 



Cape Sable Cotton Rat. — Sigmodon hispidtis spadicipygus 

 Bangs. 

 Resembling typical hispidus in character of pelage, but 

 smaller and less brown; upperparts dark brownish gray. 

 Total length, 11 inches; tail vertebras, 4 inches; hind foot, 

 1.25 inches. Found in "The extreme southern part of • the 

 peninsula of Florida." (Bailey) 



Pine Key Cotton Rat. — Sigmodon hispidus exsputus G. M. 

 Allen. 

 Resembling spadicipygus but tail longer and color different. 

 Upperparts pale ochraceous buff, darkest on rump, long 

 hairs white-tipped; underparts white. Total length, 10.2 

 inches; tail vertebra, 4.7 inches; hind foot, 1.75 inches. 

 Found on Big Pine Key, Monroe County, Florida. 



Texas Cotton Rat.- — Sigmodon hispidus texianus (Audubon 

 and Bachman). 

 Smaller and paler than typical hispidus. Upperparts gray- 

 ish brown to dark buffy gray; feet gray. Total length, 10 

 inches; tail vertebrse, 4.1 inches; hind foot, 1.2 inches. 

 Found in "Approximately the eastern half of Texas, west- 

 ward to Vernon and San Antonio, and northward to Cairo, 

 Kansas." (Bailey) 



Berlandier Cotton Rat. — Sigmodon hispidus berlandieri (Baird). 

 Resembling typical hispidus but much paler. Upperparts 

 light buffy to ashy gray; feet light gray; tail bicolor, black- 

 ish above, light gray below; underparts white. Total 

 length, 10 inches; tail vertebras, 4.5 inches; hind foot, 1.3 

 inches. Found in "Rio Grande and Pecos valleys from 

 Brownsville to El Paso, Texas, and Carlsbad, New Mexico; 

 south to southern Jalisco, Mexico." (Bailey) 



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