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Hispid cotton rat - SIGMODON HISPIDUS
Possibly Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Rat": "Rat" comes from the Old English word
"raet," for the animal. "Hispid" means "bristly."
Location: Southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Habitat: Areas with tall grass.
Description: The fur on the back is light or dark brown, and has a distinctive grizzled appearance because of a mixture of hairs of different colors. The underside is paler and more uniform in color. The ears are almost completely hidden by long hair. The head and body of this rat can reach six inches, weighing approximately an ounce per inch.
Behavior: This diurnal rodent feeds on green plants and eggs of ground-nesting birds. Its nests on the ground or under it. The rats tend to move about using the same routes, and distinct paths can be seen near their nests.
Reproduction: The cotton rat can reproduce all year round. The female has 8-10 nipples. The gestation period lasts for four weeks, and each litter has 1 to 15 young. (In northern populations litters average about 7; in southern populations, 3 or 4.) Young grow rapidly and may be weaned 10 to 15 days after birth, so up to nine litters can be born in a single year. As a result, when weather conditions are good, there can be a huge increase in the rat population causing severe damage to sugarcane, corn, and other crops.
Note:
Go to the Rodents Page to learn more about all the gnawing animals.
Or go to the Rat Index to study other
rats.
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