Wood Rats primarily feed on twigs, vegetation, fruits and roots. They are good climbers and live in caves, canyons and trees, in the wild and in sewage and drainages of buildings in urban habitats. They can easily get into car engines and garage sheds and damage electrical wiring, chewing plastic and greasy substance. They are omnivorous and like eating both plants and small animals
| Common name | Wood Rat |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Neotoma Stephensi |
| Weight | Approximate 250 to 300 grams |
| Length | Head and body approximate 20 to 25 cm |
| Tail length | Approximate 10 to 15 cm |
| Droppings | Corkscrew shaped, dark color, approximate 25 cm long |
| Sexual maturity | 3 months |
| Habitat | They live built of sticks, bark, rocks, bones, animal droppings and holes of trees. |
| Life span | Around 2 to 3 years |
LIFE CYCLE:The female wood rat can deliver up to 5 litter per year with each litter having as many as 5 young ones. The Gestation period in captivity is 27–32 days. The young one can be identified by its large, rounded ears and its long, slender body, bushy tail. It opens its eyes between 12 to 15 days after being born and are usually weaned between 26 and 30 days. After around 60 days, most become sexually mature. It is cinnamon to grey in colour with long whiskers, rounded large ears and large black eyes and furry tails. They are usually brown, peppered with black hairs above with white undersides and feet. The top coloration may vary from buff to almost black. The tail is bushy and flattened from base to tip. The New Born baby weighs around 15 grams. The Males usually weigh around 300-600 grams with an average of 405 grams, and adult females usually weigh between 250-350 grams with an average of 270 grams. Average males range in size from 310-470 mm with the average being 379 mm and average females range from 272 to 410 mm with the average being 356 mm. on an average the females generally weigh less than 250 grams and have length of 30-45 cm. The average lifespan of the Wood Rat is 2-3 years.
