How Identify A Key Largo Roof Rat

The eastern woodrat neotoma floridana also known as the florida woodrat or bush rat is a pack rat native to the central and eastern united states it constructs large dens that may serve as nests for many generations and stores food in outlying caches for the winter.

How identify a key largo roof rat.

Look closely in areas such as your attic garage and patio. If you pull the tail back over the body it will reach over its head. Its forefeet are white to the wrist and hindfeet are white to the ankles. Their tails are shorter than their bodies and they are usually covered in scales as are their ears.

The fur of roof rat is smooth while the fur of the norway rat is rough and shaggy. Effects of weather on rats. The key largo woodrat neotoma floridana smalli is a nocturnal 7 9 ounce rodent that is reddish above cinnamon on the sides and has a cream or white belly coloration. While widespread and not uncommon it has declined or disappeared in several areas.

You can do some simple landscaping to prevent roof rats from gaining entry to your home. The isolated population in key largo. Make sure all window screens are in good condition. And rattus rattus being the roof rat.

The roof rat has a long tail which is longer than the combined length of the head and body. The key largo woodrat like other members of the genus neotoma is known for its habit of building large stick nests brown 1978b. They like to nest above ground compared to other types of rats that nest underground in burrows. Always shut doors when exiting your home.

This species of woodrat has a brown and black back with a reddish brown tint on its sides and a short tail that is brown on top and white on the bottom florida natural areas inventory 2001. Woodrats typically excavate humus at the base of a tree to build their large stick nests which can be 1 2 m in height and 2 to 2 5 m in diameter. The key largo woodrat is a midsized rodent that can reach a length of 12 16 inches 31 41 centimeters. Look for and block entryways under sinks near washers dryers dishwashers hot water heaters.

It s usually easy to tell them apart from roof rats especially by the shape of their droppings which are not only capsule shaped but also much larger than those of roof rats.