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Joseph Martin, Chapin School

Mercer County


Image of Honorable Mention, Mercer County, Allegheny WoodratHonorable Mention, Mercer County, Allegheny Woodrat (c) Joseph Martin

Allegheny Woodrat

What’s up? I’m Josh, the Allegheny Woodrat. I'm a medium sized rodent. My

elders in my family usually range from 31 to 45 centimeters, including a tail ranging from

15 to 21 centimeters. Males usually weigh 357 grams, while females weigh 337 grams. I

can weigh up to a pound, about the size of an Eastern Gray Squirrel. My fur is soft, long

and brownish-gray, kind of like a cinnamon color, while my belly and paws are white.

My whiskers usually are 5 centimeters long and I have 50 on each side.

I prefer to live in rocky outcrops with mountain ranges, such as cliffs, caves, and

even mines, but my relatives have a different idea. This is true in Pennsylvania and

Maryland, but in Virginia and West Virginia my relatives live on slopes and ridges. I like

to eat buds, leaves, stems, fruits, seeds, acorns, and other nuts. I usually eat 5% of my

body weight per day and hide it in caches. I have many enemies, such as owls, skunks,

weasels, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, large snakes, and YOU! At one point I was hunted for

food, too.

I’m nocturnal, which means I’m most active at night. I am also, sadly, endangered

in FOUR STATES! I’m going extinct for a few believed reasons, but no one is positive

what the cause is. The first thought is that my species has a parasite, the raccoon

roundworm, which is fatal to my kind. Another thought is the loss of American

Chestnuts, caused by chestnut blight, which is a fungus.

So please help me! Do some research and do all you can to help. Thank you for

your time and remember, SAVE THE RATS! And don’t hurt me, OR ELSE!

Written By: Joseph Martin

Chaplin School, Princeton

Teacher: Mrs. Vail