Neotoma floridana
eastern woodrat

Neotoma floridana can be found from southern South Dakota, south to eastern Texas, east through central Florida, north to the western and Piedmont areas of Maryland, and west following the Appalachian Mountains toward southwestern Nebraska. Some individuals have been found as far east as coastal North Carolina and as far west as Colorado. (Palmer, 1957; Webster, Parnell, and Biggs, 1985; Wiley, 1980)

Neotoma floridana is an eastern woodland species but has also been observed in the grasslands of the Midwest and coastal areas of the Southeast. Eastern woodrats inhabit deciduous forests in mountainous areas, swamps and marshes in coastal areas, and sometimes inhabit abandoned buildings. (Webster, Parnell, and Biggs, 1985; Wiley, 1980)

Neotoma floridana is known for its short, stocky body and exceptionally long tail. The tail can be between 15 to 20 cm long. Eastern woodrats have long, soft fur which tends to be a brownish-gray on the back. The fur is darker dorsally and the underside and feet are white. The tail is bicolored; dark brown on the top and white on the bottom. There is a noted seasonal change in pelage color. In winter the dorsal pelage is dark brown to grayish and the sides tend to have a yellowish color. This fades around March to become a more uniform brown color during the rest of the year. The eyes are large, black and tend to appear bulging.

Newborn woodrats have folded pinnae and closed eyes. Birth weight is about 11 to 14 g and length is 87 to 96 mm. The ears unfold at around 9 days and the eyes open in 15 to 21 days. The first molt occurs at 5 to 6 weeks and the second molt follows immediately after the first.

Adults have an average weight of 275 g and average length of 38 cm. (Palmer, 1957; Webster, Parnell, and Biggs, 1985; Wiley, 1980)

Eastern woodrats have been reported living up to 8.6 years. Most eastern woodrat mortality, however, occurs in the first year of life. (Wiley, 1980)

Eastern woodrats, like other woodrats are best known for building large dens, or "middens," out of sticks. These dens can be found in a variety of locations including rock outcrops, brush piles, bases of large trees, briar patches, or in abandoned human structures. These dens are used for shelter from the elements, nesting, food storage, and defense. Eastern woodrats will use any available resource to construct a midden. Middens can contain bones, rocks, and dung as building materials. An eastern woodrat will stay in such their midden temporarily or for life. Only one eastern woodrat will inhabit a midden at any time, with the exception of females and their young, but middens will be used by many woodrats over generations and each new woodrat continues to build on the midden. In this way woodrat middens can grow to heights of 5 feet. Teeth marks within the bones found in houses suggest that the woodrats use them to sharpen their teeth.

Eastern woodrats are aggressive towards other woodrats. Battles are usually accomplished through jabs with the head and front feet. Fighting is rarely limited to a particular sex, but when a female is involved she is most often the aggressor. They are primarily nocturnal, although some activity may occur during late afternoon. Eastern woodrats spend most of the day sleeping. They are capable of running rapidly and are decent climbers. (Palmer, 1957; Webster, Parnell, and Biggs, 1985; Wiley, 1980)

Home Range

Eastern woodrats stay fairly close to their constructed middens and limit foraging to about 21 m from them. Home ranges are altered as a result of increased sexual activity, voluntary wandering, and preference to a type of food not located immediately within the occupied home range. The home range of adult males tends to be larger than adult females. The average home range for an adult male is estimated at 0.26 ha, with 0.17 ha being average for an adult female. Some overlap in home ranges has been observed along with intolerance to other individuals. Thus, there typically tends to be a buffer area between home ranges. (McMurry et al., 1993; Wiley, 1980)

Eastern woodrats only squeal during fights or if injured. Typically, noises are made by grinding teeth or thumping the hind feet. The thumping usually occurs as a result of anger or fear. They have a highly developed sense of smell and their hearing is also extremely good. The vibrissae located at the front of the face are used for tactile sensing and help rats navigate in the dark. (Wiley, 1980)

Eastern woodrats are known for their foraging and caching habits. They store fruits, seeds, and leaves in their large middens to eat during the winter. They also include many non-food items in midden collections, such as jewelry, paper wads, bottle caps, and other shiny objects, which they seem to be curious about. In one study, Martin et al. (1951) reported that 5 to 10% of their diet was made up of oak (Quercus) acorns. Two to five percent of the diet is made up of greenbrier (Smilax species), goldenrod (Solidago), and prickly pear (Opuntia). Sumac (Rhus), mesquite (Prosopis), and walnut (Juglans), each constituted 0.5% of the diet. Insects are reported as making up a very small portion of the diet as well. (Martin, Zim, and Nelson, 1951; Palmer, 1957)

The most common predators of eastern woodrats are great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), black snakes (Elaphe species), and timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus). Eastern woodrats avoid predation by being mostly active at night, taking refuge in their large dens, and being vigilant for predator activity. They are also cryptically colored. (Webster, Parnell, and Biggs, 1985; Wiley, 1980)

Eastern woodrats are known for their large middens, which may become valuable habitat to other animals. They are prey for raptors, large snakes, and mammalian predators, and they influence plant communities through their seed predation and caching. Common parasites of this species include: warble flies (Cuterebra species), ticks (Ixodes species), mites (Eutrombicula species), fleas (Orchopeas species), chiggers (Trombicula species), and nematodes (Longistriata species). (Wiley, 1980)

When eastern woodrats live near farms they are often considered pests. These woodrats, however, do very little economic harm to crops. (Nowak, 1999)

Eastern woodrats have no known economic value.

While Neotoma floridana is considered secure globally, there are a few subspecies in certain regions that are of concern. Neotoma floridana illinoensis has been considered a species of special concern and is monitored by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Neotoma floridana floridana is considered threatened by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. Neotoma floridana smalli (Key Largo woodrats) is listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. According to McCleery et al. (2006), the decline in the population is due to habitat fragmentation and degradation, parasites, and predation by feral cats. Key Largo woodrats are isolated on the island of Key Largo, Florida. Almost half of the species' original home range has been lost since the early 1970s. There are approximately 850 ha of suitable land left on the island, most of which is found within two protected areas: Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park and Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. (McCleery et al., 2006; Mengak and Laerm, 2007; Nowak, 1999)