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Populations may cycle approximately every 8 years due to variation in reproduction and juvenile survival. [14] Female annual survival rates vary by age from 0.42 for juveniles to 0.71 for 1–2 year olds, [ 14 ] and very few females (less than 5%) live beyond 3 years of age.
As with most members of the genus, the Eastern Woodrat feeds opportunistically on nuts, seeds, fungi, buds, stems, roots, foliage, and fruits. [1] [15] While the eastern woodrat's nest is typically found on the ground, it is a capable climber and may forage above ground. [2] Eastern Woodrats eat about 5% of their body weight in dry mass each day.
Desert woodrats sometimes appropriate the burrows of ground squirrels or kangaroo rats, [citation needed] and will fortify the entrance with several cubic metres of sticks and joints collected from jumping and teddy-bear chollas. This provides a formidable defense against predators.
The bushy-tailed woodrat, or packrat (Neotoma cinerea) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae found in Canada and the United States. [2] Its natural habitats are boreal forests , temperate forests, dry savanna , temperate shrubland , and temperate grassland .
Herbivory is of extreme ecological importance and prevalence among insects.Perhaps one third (or 500,000) of all described species are herbivores. [4] Herbivorous insects are by far the most important animal pollinators, and constitute significant prey items for predatory animals, as well as acting as major parasites and predators of plants; parasitic species often induce the formation of galls.
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If a predator attacks a woodrat's nest, the woodrat may take shelter in another nearby nest. Dusky-footed woodrats create a rattling sound by shaking their tails on the ground, all to alert each other of nearby predators and give a warning sign to predators themselves. The tail too can be used to initiate a fight with another woodrat. [11]
In a few places, it occurs in lower country where lava or boulder fields occur; presumably the presence of spaces extending far below the surface enables survival. Like most members of the genus living in rocky areas, dens tend to take advantage of crevices, rock shelters, and caves; stick nests are relatively rare.