Family: Muridae, Mice and Rats view all from this family

Description Often brownish peppered with black hairs above, but varies from pale grayish to blackish; whitish below. Tail squirrel-like, bushy, and flattened from base to tip. L 11 1/2–18 1/2" (292–472 mm); T 4 3/4 –9 1/4" (120–236 mm); Wt 5 1/2– 15 1/2 oz (156–444 g).

Similar Species All other woodrats have rounded, short-haired tails.

Breeding Probably 1 or 2 litters per year of 2–6 young, usually born in spring or summer.

Habitat Rocky situations; coniferous forests.

Range Southeastern Yukon and extreme sw Northwest Territories south into nw U.S. to n California and nw New Mexico, and east to sw North Dakota and w Nebraska.

Discussion The Bushy-tailed Woodrat is the original "pack rat," the species in which the trading habit is most pronounced. It has a strong preference for shiny objects and will drop whatever it may be carrying in favor of a coin or a spoon. Green vegetation is its preferred food, but the Bushy-tailed Woodrat also eats twigs, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, and some animal matter. In coniferous forests, this woodrat may build its house as high as 50 feet (15 m) up a tree, using its bushy tail for balance when climbing and jumping. In some areas, the house is used only for caching large quantities of dried vegetation, and the nest itself is concealed in a rocky crevice behind a barricade of sticks. The Bushy-tailed Woodrat engages in hindfoot-drumming when alarmed. It will also drum when undisturbed, producing a slow, tapping sound. This rodent is heavily preyed upon by spotted owls and Bobcats.