Population, Conservation Status, Threats:
Considered least concern by the IUCN. Populations appear to be stable. Somewhat threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to human impact, though they often utilize abandoned human buildings for shelter, proving an ability to adapt to some man-made changes in the environment.
Physical Description:
Medium-sized, brown-gray rat, with large ears and a long, fuzzy tail.
Overall bushy-tailed woodrat range from Montana Field Guide. Present from the Front Range and west in Colorado, and extending along the rocky mountains and adjacent land up into Canada.
Habitat:
Frequently found in rocky montane regions, with a habit of taking up residence in abandoned or seasonally-inhabited human structures. Will also colonize abandoned mines.
Behavior:
Males are very territorial towards other males, but form small harems of female rats. True to their nickname - the packrat - their nests are made up of a large amount of collected materials, encased in a solid layer of rat urine and feces. These nests have the potential to last for thousands of years in the environment, and can be used as valuable paleontological evidence.
Diet:
Diet is largely plant-based, consisting of shrub and forb leaves, fungi, fruit, nuts and berries, and even pine needles, but like most rodents, they will opportunistically feed on insects when available.
Reproduction:
A single male will mate with multiple females sharing his range, from April through August. After a gestation period of roughly a month, an average of 3 young are produced, and will be weaned in another month, and sexually mature the following spring. Because of short gestation times and quick maturation, females are able to produce 2-3 litters in a year.
Associated Species:
Foxes, bobcats, owls and coyotes - basically any small to medium predator in their range - will predate upon bushy-tailed woodrats.
Illustration by Willow Sedam