Neotoma cinerea (Ord, 1815)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Cricetidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 204-535 : 356

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6707142

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6727936

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F06D13-FFE1-2028-0D81-1E570E34F9EC

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Neotoma cinerea
status

 

185. View Plate 15: Cricetidae

Bushy-tailed Woodrat

Neotoma cinerea View in CoL

French: Néotoma a queue touffue / German: Buschschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de bosque de cola peluda

Other common names: Packrat

Taxonomy. Mus cinereus Ord, 1815 , near Great Falls, Casade County, Montana, USA.

Neotoma cinerea View in CoL is in subgenus Teonoma. Thirteen subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

N.c.cinereaOrd,1815—extremeSEBritishColumbia,SAlberta,andextremeSWSaskatchewan(SWCanada)StoCIdahoandWWyoming,andWtoextremeWCNorthDakota(NWUSA).

N.c.acraeaElliot,1904—CCaliforniaEtoextremeSWIdaho,CUtah,andNWArizona(WUSA).

N.c.alticolaHooper,1940—extremeSEWashingtonStoNWCaliforniaandNNevadaandEtoSWIdaho(WUSA).

N.c.arizonaeMerriam,1893—SWUtah,EColorado,NArizona,andNWNewMexico(SWUSA).

N.c.cinnamomea].A.Allen,1895—SWWyomingandNWedgeofColorado(WCUSA).

N.c.drummondiiJ.Richardson,1828—SWYukon,extremeSWNorthwestTerritories,EBritishColumbia,andWAlberta(WCanada).

N.c.fuscaTrue,1894—WOregon(NWUSA).

N.c.lucidaGoldman,1917—SENevadaandadjacentSWCalifornia(SWUSA).

N.c.macrodonKelson,1949—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityinNEUtah(WCUSA).

N.c.occidentalisBaird,1855—SYukonamdextremeWNorthwestTerritories(WCanada)StoSWOregon,NIdaho,andNWMontana(NWUSA).

N.c.orolestesMerriam,1894—SWMontanaStoNNewMexico(WCUSA).

N.c.pullaHooper,1940—SWOregonandNCalifornia(WUSA).

N. c. rupicola]. A. Allen, 1894 — SW North Dakota S to NE Colorado (C USA). View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head—body 173-247 mm, tail 120-223 mm, ear 28-35 mm, hindfoot 30-52 mm; weight 234-600 g. The Bushy-tailed Woodrat is large, with bushy, almost squirrel-like, tail. It is much larger than Stephens’s Woodrat (N. stephensi )— the only other woodrat species with bushy or hairy tail. Sole of hindfoot is heavily furred from heel to posterior tubercle. Vibrissae are exceptionally long, reaching lengths of 100 mm. The Bushy-tailed Woodrat has large geographical variation, with individuals in the northern distribution being much large than those in the southern distribution.

Habitat. Rocky outcroppings and ledges, creeks, and canyon walls in western USA.

Food and Feeding. The Bushy-tailed Woodrat is primarily folivorous, but also feeds on bark and fruit. Numerous plant species found in middens in Colorado (USA) are associated with this species’ diet.

Breeding. Bushy-tailed Woodrats usually have 1-2 litters/year, with 3-5 young/litter. Births generally occur in May—August.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Bushy-tailed Woodrat is not as territorial as other woodrat species. Some evidence suggests that it lives in loosely associated groups, perhaps due to shortages of den sites. Home ranges are larger than those of other woodrats, exceeding radii of more than 200 m, in some cases.It rarely constructs a free-standing midden; instead, sticks, leaves, and other plant material are wedged into openings or crevices.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Allen (1894, 1895b), Baird (1855b), Elliot (1904a), Finley (1958), Goldman (1917), Hall (1981), Hooper (1940), Kelson (1949), Merriam (1893, 1894b), Ord (1815), Richardson (1828), Smith (1997), True (1894b).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Cricetidae

Genus

Neotoma

Loc

Neotoma cinerea

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr 2017
2017
Loc

Mus cinereus

Ord 1815
1815
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