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Emily Dunn, Wantage School

Sussex County


Image of 2011 Edge- Emily Dunn, Wantage School

Allegheny Woodrat

Hi, I'm the Allegheny Woodrat, also known as the Neotoma magister. A lot of people don't like rats, but anyone could love me!

If you are looking for me try looking in caves, rocky cliffs, outcrops, bare dunes, and grasses. I look cinnamon colored with a little black and while color on my chin and belly, also on the bottoms of my feet. I have large ears, long whiskers, and a tail that is 6 to 8 inches long; but I only weigh 7 to 13 ounces. And make sure that when you come looking, you come at night, because I'm nocturnal!

My diet is predominantly vegetarian, feeding on fruits, nuts, berries, and green plants. I have very few predators and that makes my life easier. Living in small spaces helps too- so that the predators cannot get in- but when they do, it doesn't turn out well.

Other woodrats and I belong to the family Cricetidae. We make up the genus Neotoma and love offspring. Female woodrats can have 3 to 6 young and two litters a season. Breeding picks up in May and April, but now that our population has declined, even one litter a year is questionable.

Now that you know more about me, I should tell you that I have been endangered since 1987. In the last 15 years my population has plummeted by 50 percent. The reason why is unclear but the leading theory is raccoon ringworm- a parasite to small animals. Habitat fragmentation (being split by home building, polluted etc.) and inbreeding are also significant reasons; so to keep us furry animals around, new blood is needed.

Donations to the Endangered Wildlife Fund will help. Thank you for your help on saving me, the Allegheny woodrat!

Emily Dunn

The Wantage School

Wantage, NJ

Mrs. Carol Speck