Bushtail rat
| Bushtail rat | ||||||||||||
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Bushtail rat ( Neotoma cinerea ) |
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| Neotoma cinerea | ||||||||||||
| ( Ord , 1815) |
The bush tail rat ( Neotoma cinerea ) is a species of New World mouse that lives in North America .
features
Bush tail rats reach a total length of up to 46 centimeters, of which about half is accounted for by the tail. Males weigh 300 to 600 grams while females only reach 250 to 350 grams. The animals in the north of the distribution area are, in accordance with Bergmann's rule, larger than the animals in the south. Their fur is gray-brown on top, the underside is lighter. The name-giving feature is the tail, which, unlike the other bush rats, is bushy.
distribution and habitat
Bush tail rats are distributed from northern Canada to the southern USA ( Arizona ). They inhabit a range of habitats and are found in both boreal coniferous forests and deserts. They are often found in areas with rocky subsoil because they need crevices in the rock as shelter. Sometimes they also inhabit houses.
Way of life
These rodents build nests lined with grass and other plant material. They are nocturnal and seldom move far from their shelter when foraging for food. Their home ranges are small, they live solitary and react aggressively to other species. Bushtail rats are known to collect numerous objects in their nests, often glittering or iridescent items. If you notice something that you consider more attractive than the one you are currently wearing, leave the old one behind and take the new one with you. They owe the names “trade rats” or “pack rats” in English to this property - a term that is also used for people with messie syndrome .
Their diet consists of roots, stems, leaves, seeds and other plant material. Occasionally they also ingest insects.
These animals are very fertile, the females can have several litters a year. After a gestation period of around 30 days, around three (sometimes up to six) young animals are born.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Information on Animal Diversity Web
- Neotoma cinerea in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006 Posted by: J. Baillie, 1996. Retrieved on 10 August, 2008.