| Juniper trees are the main source of food, water, and shelter for Stephen's Woodrat. Like Red Tree Voles, which feed mostly on Douglas-fir, the Woodrats are able to feed primarily on conifer leaves, which contain chemical compounds - tannins and terepenoids - that interfere with digestion in most mammals. Stephen's Woodrats usually nest at or near the base of junipers, in habitats that include rocks and crevices. Fossils and studies of preserved middens indicate that these Woodrats have been associated with junipers for at least 15,000 years. Females of this species can reproduce when they are nine months old, and can produce offspring five times a year. Usually only one young is born at a time, but occasionally there are twins.
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are larger than females.
Length:
Average:
293 mm
Range:
274-312 mm
Weight:
Range:
117-180 g
References:
Goldman, E.A., 1905. Twelve new woodrats of the genus Neotoma,p. 32. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 18:27-34.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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