Common Names:

Wood Rat

Physical Characteristics:

Liquid black eyes, fluffy, grayish-brown, Big ears, and long tail; body is 6-9 inches long and its tail 5-9 inches long.

Behavior:

• In houses, pack rats are active nocturnally, searching for food and nest material.

• A peculiar characteristic is that if they find something they want, they will drop what they are currently carrying, for example a piece of cactus, and they will “trade” it for the new item.

• They are particularly fond of twigs, stones, dog poop, and shiny objects, leading to tales of rats swapping jewelry for a stone.

• Herbivores: Feed on nuts, seeds, fruit, and foliage

Facts:

• There are approximately 22 species of packrats in the Southwest, including Arizona.
• Nests are often called “middens” and have been discovered clear back to the ice age.
• Packrats will make tapping noises with their feet when they are disturbed.
• Females produce 1-2 litters a year, with 2-6 pups in each litter.