Dusky-footed Woodrat
Neotoma fuscipes
- Class
- Mammal
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 1,651
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes) 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.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Dusky-footed woodrat”.