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

Description Steel-gray above; pale gray below. Tail heavy, dark grayish above; white below. Throat, chest, and feet white. L 13 1/8 -16 1/8" (334-411 mm); T 4 3/4 -7 1/4" (120-185 mm); HF 1 3/8 -1 3/4" (34-45 mm); E 1-1 1/8" (25-29 mm); Wt 7 1/4 -11 1/8 oz (204-317 g).

Similar Species Other woodrats have browner coloring.

Breeding Northern populations breed in early spring and bear 1 litter per year; southern populations have a more prolonged breeding season and more litters. In both, litter of 2 or 3 young; gestation 30-39 days.

Habitat Rocky outcrops and semi-arid brushlands; cactus, mesquite, and thornbush thickets.

Range Southeastern Colorado, sw Kansas, w Oklahoma, and most of New Mexico east through w Texas.

Discussion The Southern Plains Woodrat is a vegetarian, obtaining all the water it needs from succulent plants. It feeds heavily on prickly pear leaves and the fruit of many cacti, along with the leaves of sotol, agave, and other plants, as well as mesquite pods, seeds, and nuts. This species usually builds its nest under a shrub or cactus, such as mesquite, acacia, allthorn, yucca, or, most often, prickly pear. If vegetation is sparse, the rodent will dig a burrow in the earth below the nest instead of constructing the usual surface runways. The nest structure has a large central nesting chamber used for sleeping and rearing young, with several side chambers for caching food. Trails lead from nests to feeding areas. The female often uses the same nest throughout her adult life. Many other organisms live in the nests, including Desert Shrews and several species of assassin bug. Hawks, owls, roadrunners, foxes, Common Raccoons, Coyotes, Bobcats, and snakes are the main predators of this woodrat, which is the diet staple of the western diamondback rattlesnake in southern Texas.