Mammals of Pennsylvania—Woodrat

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Common Name: Allegheny woodrat or Pack rat

Scientific Name: Neotoma floridana

Habitat: Rockslides, cliffs, rocky ledges, and caves at high elevations.

Diet: Herbivorous—including fruits, especially berries of dogwood, blackberry, cherry, and mountain ash, as well as fungi, fern, and other vegetation that it encounters.

Interesting Facts: The mysterious decline of Allegheny woodrat populations throughout eastern North America has been the focus of much research in recent years. In Pennsylvania, there are only a few known sites where woodrat dens persist. As yet, none of the theories explaining this native rat’s diminished populations has been proven.

Further Reading: Click here for references