Dusky-footed Wood Rat
(Neotoma fuscipes)

The Dusky-footed Wood Rat is a gray-brown, large sized rodent that occurs sporadically on the Etiwanda Fan. The Dusky-footed Wood Rat is found in scrub and woodland habitats from western Oregon south into Baja California. There are 11 races of Dusky-footed Wood Rat. The local race is N. f. macrotis.

Status: N. f. riparia, N. f. luciana, and N. f. annectens are California Species of Special Concern
Habitat: Scrub habitats including desert scrub, coastal sage scrub, and chaparral
Diet: Plant material, including leaves, nuts, flowers, and berries
Mean* adult body length: 166.5 mm
Mean* adult tail length: 170.5 mm
Mean* adult hind foot length: 3.6 mm
Mean* adult ear length: 28.3 mm

*mean measurement of individuals captured in the San Bernardino Valley by Museum researchers

The graph below shows the activity periods of adults and immatures from 1999 through 2001. The adults are active year around and the immatures are present winter through summer. Note that immature individuals grow to adult size and molt into adult pelage within a single breeding season.

Back to Mammals of the Etiwanda Fan