Pack rats, also known as woodrats or trade rats, are rodents belonging to the genus Neotoma. They are native to North and Central America. The bushy-tailed wood rat is the only native rat found in Canada. These adaptable creatures are known for their unique hoarding habits and diverse diets. Understanding their dietary preferences and habits is essential for managing their presence, especially when they venture into human environments.
Identifying Pack Rats
Pack rats have a rat-like appearance, with long tails, large ears, and large, black eyes. They typically grow to be approximately 30 cm (12 in) long, with their tails making up about 50% of their size. Pack rats have large eyes and long whiskers. Their fur is soft and fine, varying in color from gray to brown or reddish-brown, with lighter-colored undersides. Some may also appear yellowish-gray or creamy-buff, depending on the species. They have large ears covered with fine hair, adding to their distinct appearance. The white-throated woodrat ( Neotoma albigula) is a medium-sized rodent with big ears and eyes, and a furry (rather than hairless) tail. The tail has white fur on the underside and grayish brown fur on top. The hairs on its throat are white, while the rest of its body is gray or tawny.
Pack Rat Habitat and Distribution
Pack rats are found throughout the United States, except in a few states around the Great Lakes and the northeastern United States. The bushy-tailed wood rat is found throughout all of British Columbia's mainland and is absent from the coastal islands. Some authors, however, report that this rodent is also absent from the northeast and northwest corners of the province. Pack rats occur from the edge of the Arctic Circle to the tropics of Nicaragua, and from western Canada through most of the US and Mexico. The White-throated Woodrat occurs from southern Nevada and Colorado through most of Arizona and Sonora southward. Pack rats are common throughout their range. They thrive in diverse habitats, from deserts to woodlands. The bushy-tailed wood rat requires habitat that offers good security cover. Activity is significantly higher in areas that have 75 to 100% cover than in areas with less cover. The cover provided within rocky habitats such as talus slopes, caves, cliffs, river canyons, and rock outcrops in open forests appear to be favorite habitats for this wood rat.
General Dietary Habits
Pack rats have an omnivorous diet, feeding on a variety of plant materials, seeds, fruits, and nuts. They are also known to consume small insects and scavenge on human food when available. The wood rat is an omnivorous rodent that will make a meal out of a variety of plants, insects, small amphibians, and carrion. Their diet often depends on the resources available in their environment, making them highly adaptable eaters.
Specific Food Preferences
The majority of the wood rat’s diet is comprised of green and dry vegetation. Preference is shown for the foliage of herbs, shrubs, and trees, but not grasses. For food, they prefer the leaves of aspen, willows, roses, cherries, currants, snowberries and elderberries, but will also eat the twigs and needles of Douglas-fir, Alpine Fir, Englemann Spruce and Junipers. They also use the seeds and fruit of Douglas-fir, anemones, gooseberries, cinquefoils, raspberries, fireweed, gentians, elderberries, honeysuckles and goldenrod. They also feed on the vascular tissues of Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock. Willow leaves are also a favoured food. Packrats will live mostly on a diet of mesquite beans, palo verde seeds, green plants, and cactus, preferring prickly pears and chollas.
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Seasonal Variations in Diet
Pack rats are most active during the warmer months when food sources are abundant, but they can remain active year-round, especially in milder climates. The bushy-tailed wood rat does not hibernate; instead it actively prepares for the winter by stockpiling a cache of vegetation, which it gathers and dries in the sun during the growing season. In colder weather, they may seek shelter indoors, where they can forage for food and nesting materials, making them a year-round concern for homeowners in regions with moderate winters. Beginning in February, the male meet up with a female and pursues her until they mate in March. The gestation period is 27 to 32 days. After the young are born, the female, who is dominant, drives out the male. The litter size is one to six (average three and a half). Under favourable conditions, two litters, about two months apart, are produced, but in the northern part of its range, usually only one.
Pack Rats in Human Environments
After establishing themselves within a building, pack rats will feed on foods found indoors, but will continue to forage for most of their food outdoors. When they get into buildings, the pests consume stored cereals and grains. Homes are attractive. At night rats often sit by doors & windows smelling our homes. Fabric and stuffing from patio furniture and even grill covers makes excellent nesting material. Small toys and ball are pack rat favorites to collect.
Unique Adaptations
Packrats eat plant parts and seeds, and thus are seed and cactus dispersers (they help plants get started in new places). Additionally, packrats are food for bobcats, coyotes, owls, hawks and snakes. Those animals rely on these fuzzy furballs for a full belly. Packrats obtain moisture from what they eat and therefore do not need free-standing water. The pack rat microbiome has symbiotic roles in digestion, recycling endogenous nitrogen, and the detoxification of dietary toxins. The bacterial composition of the pack rat's gut microbiome is affected by what it eats, and by association, the geography of where the animal is from.
Pack Rat Nests and Food Storage
Pack rat habitats provide wood rats with suitable sites for building their stick “houses”. Wood rats owe their other common name of pack rat to their association with stick houses, which are generally quite large (one to 1.8m in height) and built out of woody debris, dried vegetation, and other objects the wood rat can collect, including human artifacts such as silverware, jewelry and clothing. Although they are often referred to as houses, the piles of debris created by wood rats do not often function as shelters and wood rats do not usually reside therein. Large wood rat piles function more as a storage dump than a house. Their true nests are small (about 15cm in diameter), cup-shaped, and are made up of finely shredded bark and other soft materials such as fur. Pack rats make massive multi-layer nests, which feature “middens”, central sections consisting of branches, debris, and small stones held together by pack rat urine and feces. These amazing architects construct homes made out of sticks, branches, and rocks. They even protect it with cholla pieces and dog poop! Some packrat houses are so well constructed and protected that they have survived and been continuously occupied for thousands of years.
Signs of a Pack Rat Infestation
Nests (middens): Pack rats build nests using twigs, leaves, and collected items, often in attics, garages, or outdoor areas like woodpiles. Missing small objects: Shiny or bright items disappearing or being relocated can indicate pack rats. Droppings: Finding rodent droppings near food storage areas or along travel paths. Gnaw marks: Evidence of gnawed wood, wires, or other materials is common with a pack rat infestation. Noises at night: Scratching or scurrying sounds in walls, attics, or crawl spaces are telltale signs, especially since they are most active after dark.
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Pack Rat Prevention
To avoid pack rat infestations, minimize conditions that attract them and block potential entry points. Pack rats seek food, shelter, and nesting materials, so taking proactive steps can make your home less appealing: Store firewood properly: Keep firewood stored as far from the home as possible and off the ground. During winter, only store enough wood near the house to last a few days. Clear debris: Remove piles of debris, stones, bricks, or other materials near your home’s foundation, as these provide ideal nesting sites. Seal cracks and holes: Close any openings larger than a quarter inch with steel wool or wire mesh before sealing with caulk or foam to prevent rodents from chewing through. Install weather stripping: Use thick weather stripping on the bottom of doors and ensure the door from the garage to the house is tightly sealed. Secure food and trash: Store food in airtight containers and use tightly sealed garbage bins to limit attractants.
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