The desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida ) is a species of pack rat native to desert regions of western North America.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withDesert woodrats are relatively small for pack rats. Males in thisspecies are larger than females. The coloring of these animals varies between individuals, and can be anything from pale gray to cinnamon to near-black. The underparts and feet are always white, while the pale fur on the throat region is gray at its base. The tail is distinctly bicolored, and has more hair, and fewer visible scales, than the tails of brown rats. Desert woodrats have a narrow snout, long whiskers, and relatively long ears that are almost the length of the hind feet.
Desert woodrats are found in North America. They range from southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, south through Nevada and western Utah to California in the US, and Baja California and extreme northwestern Sonora in Mexico. Twenty three subspecies are recognised and many of them restricted to small islands in the Gulf of California. Desert woodrats are generally found in sagebrush scrub areas, in chaparral, and in deserts and rocky slopes with scattered cactus, yucca, pine/juniper, and other low vegetation. They are most abundant in rocky areas with numerous crevices or rock piles in which they can seek shelter from predators.
Desert woodrats are primarily nocturnal and are aggressively solitary. They may defend water sources against other species, and perhaps prevent other species from obtaining water during droughts. Woodrats construct houses for nesting, food caching, and predator escape. Their houses are located against rock crevices, at the base of cactus plants, or in the lower branches of trees. They can have up to 6 entrances and 8 internal chambers, including both nests and food caches. Nests are constructed of dried vegetation, usually fibrous grass parts or shredded stems. Desert woodrats sometimes appropriate the burrows of ground squirrels or kangaroo rats. They will strengthen the entrance with sticks and joints collected from cactus. This provides a formidable defense against predators. Males mark their territory by rubbing themselves on the ground. Females, however, scent mark by first digging, and then rubbing their flanks, legs or cheeks on the excavated soil. They are active year-round.
Desert woodrats are herbivores and granivores. They feed on beans and leaves of mesquite, on juniper, and on parts of available cacti. They also eat creosote bushes, thistles, Ephedra, Mustard plants, sagebrush, and buckwheat. Desert woodrats will also eat other green vegetation, seeds, fruits, acorns, and pine nuts.
Little information is available about the mating system in Desert woodrats. These animals breed in the spring and summer. Females give birth to litters of up to 5 young after a gestation period of 30-36 days. The young weigh about 10 g (0.35 oz) at birth, and are blind, with only the tips of their hairs visible. Their eyes open after about ten days. The young are weaned at around 4 weeks of age and ready to breed when they are 2-3 months of age.
There are no major threats to Desert woodrats. However, some populations in the northwestern part of Mexico may suffer from habitat change and from introduced species, such as cats.
According to IUCN Red List, Desert woodrats are common and widespread throughout their known range, but no overall population estimate is available. This species’ numbers remain stable today and it is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.