WOOD RAT 



base of tail; feet buffy gray; tail blackish above, buffy gray- 

 below; underparts white. Total length, 10.4 inches; tail 

 vertebrae, 4.6 inches; hind foot, 1.16 inches. Found in 

 "The Transition Zone top of the Chisos Mountains, Texas. 

 . . ." (Bailey) 



The Cotton Rats are a southern group found in greatest 

 abundance from Mexico to Peru, and reaching their northern 

 limit of distribution in the United States. These Rats look 

 very much like overgrown Meadow Mice, with their long, 

 loose pelage. Like the Meadow Mice, they are creatures of 

 the grass-lands and overgrown, open places. They move 

 about during the day and frequently occur in large numbers. 

 They ma}^ prove injurious to crops and, because they are 

 quite prolific, the farmer may find difficulty in controlling 

 them. 



Cotton Rats may be easily distinguished from other North 

 American rodents by their size and rough, grizzled pelage. 

 No other Rats have this character of pelage and the only other 

 loose, rough-pelaged rodents, such as the Meadow Mice, are 

 smaller. The number of young may be six or more and there 

 are several litters a year. Cotton Rats do not hibernate but 

 are active throughout the year. They live in burrows or 

 under rocks, logs, or other surface shelters. 



Genus Neotoma^ 



Dentition: Incisors, j; Canines, §; Premolars, g ; Molars, f = 16. 



Wood Rat. — Neotoma floridana 



and related forms 



Names. — Wood Rat; Pack Rat; Trade Rat; Mountain 

 Rat; Brush Rat. Plate XXXIII. 



General Description. — A typical Rat in all respects, re- 

 sembling superficially the domestic House Rat; size fairly 

 large; ears of good size; tail somewhat less than half of total 

 length, tapering, sparsely covered with short hairs; pelage 

 fairly long and soft. Mainly nocturnal but not infrequently 

 active in the daytime, 



^For a full revision of the genus Neotoma see E. A. Goldman, North 

 American Fauna, No. 31, 1910. 



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