Neotoma cinerea

Bushy-tailed Woodrat
(*Neotoma cinerea*)
Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Supramyomorpha
Infraorder:	Myomorphi
Superfamily:	Muroidea
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Neotominae
Tribe:	Neotomini
Genus:	Neotoma
Binomial details
	Neotoma cinerea (Ord, 1815)
Other resources
	Full taxonomic details at MDD

The Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) is a large woodrat with a bushy tail. It is almost always restricted to rocky habitats.

Description

From Hoffmeister (1986): A species of Neotoma in which the tail is bushy, the hind feet long (37 mm or more in adult males, 36 mm or more in adult females), soles of hind feet furred from heel to toes, throat usually with hairs white all the way to the base, underparts not washed with brown or ochraceous."

From Armstrong et al. (2010): "The bushy-tailed woodrat is a large woodrat with a bushy tail (especially pronounced in mature males). The ears are larger than those of other woodrats in Colorado. Although variable, color is typically ochraceous buff to gray often washed with black. The sides are buffy. The venter is white, with the hairs gray at their bases. White hairs of the chest and throat are usually white to their bases. The tail is dark gray above and whitish below. The feet are white. The soles of the hindfeet are fully furred from the proximal tubercle to the heel."

From Smith (1997): "Dorsally, coat color varies from a pale gray lightly washed with buff to a dark brownish-black or tawny shade; the underparts may vary from white to pinkish or buff (Allen, 1895; Dixon, 1919; Finley, 1958; Goldman, 1910, 1917; Hoffmeister, 1986; Hooper, 1940; Howell, 1926). Substantial geographic variation is found in pelage color, however, with cooler and more humid climates associated with darker coloration, and paler pelages associated with lower, semiarid habitats (Finley, 1958; Goldman, 1910; Hooper, 1940). In several subspecies of bushy-tailed woodrat the hair is entirely white along the midventral line (Hall, 1981; Howell, 1926), and many populations are white-throated (Hoffmeister, 1986)."

Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) observed by Jason Headley in East Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada.

Field and museum images

Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Dorsal view of the skin.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Ventral view of the skin.
Neotoma cinerea observed by Christopher Lindsey in Walla Walla County, Washington.
SCFS153. Neotoma cinerea from Nevada County, California.
Neotoma cinerea observed by guyincognito in Pend Oreille, Washington.
Neotoma cinerea observed by wnoo in Bend, Oregon.

External measurements

Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.

Part of range	Reference	Total length	Tail length	Hindfoot length	Ear length	Mass
Arizona (Kearns Canyon to near Woodruff)	Hoffmeister (1986)	males: 326–398 (n=8); females: 302–345 (n=9)	males: 130–168 (n=8); females: 127–165 (n=9)	males: 38–42 (n=8); female; 34–42 (n=9)
Arizona (N rim Grand Canyon)	Hoffmeister (1986)	males: 363–385 (n=3); females: 366–410 (n=5)	males: 145–162 (n=3); females: 162–181 (n=5)	males: 40–45 (n=3); females: 39–44 (n=5)	females: 32–34 (n=5)
California	Jameson & Peeters (2004)	335–425	140–185	38–44	31–33	220–435
Colorado	Armstrong et al. (2010)	340–420	142–176	40–46	30–33	270–290
Nebraska	Johnsgard (2020)	350–470	135–223			240–290
North Dakota	Seabloom et al. (2020)	316 (n=11)	133 (n=11)	42 (n=11)	34 (n=11)	males: 419 (379–456); females: 302 (234–359)

Skull

From Armstrong et al. (2010): "The skull has a narrow, channeled interorbital region. The temporal ridges are separated by a narrow interparietal usually not much wider than long. The nasal septum has a maxillo-vomerine notch and the anterior palantine spine is slender and pointed."

From Smith (1997): "M1 has a deep anterointernal re-entrant angle; M3 has an anterior closed triangle and two confluent posterior loops (Hall, 1981)."

Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Dorsal view of the skull.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Ventral view of the skull.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Lateral view of the skull.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Dorsal view of the mandible.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Lateral view of the left mandible.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Upper molars.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Lower molars.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.

Habitat

From Smith (1997): "Bushy-tailed woodrats are almost obligatorily saxicolous. They typically inhabit boulder outcrops, vertical crevices, clefts or caves in cliffs, or talus slopes (Brown, 1968; Dixon, 1919; Findley et al., 1975; Finley, 1958; Goldman, 1910; Grayson and Livingston, 1989; Hoffmeister, 1986; Moses and Millar, 1992) and are excellent climbers (Finley, 1990; Goldman, 1910). Topography and shelter are important determinants of the suitability of habitat for bushy-tailed woodrats, and the number of den sites may limit population density (Escherich, 1981; Finley, 1958; Hickling, 1987; Moses and Millar, 1992). Although ostensibly found over a wide geographic range, the distribution of N. cinerea is actually relatively patchy because favored den sites are numerous only in rugged mountainous or canyon country (Finley, 1958). Bushy-tailed woodrats also frequently inhabit isolated man-made structures such as mine tunnels, cabins or accessible buildings, and even pueblo cliff dwellings (Brown, 1968; Findley et al., 1975; Finley, 1958; Grayson and Livingston, 1989; Hoffmeister, 1986). Although only abandoned human structures normally are inhabited, this is not always the case."

Similar species

Comparison with Neotoma albigula

The pelage of Neotoma cinerea is variable, but it can be differentiated from the White-throated Woodrat (Neotoma albigula) by its large size, bushy tail, and the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1) being deeply notched. Both species have hairs on the throat that are white to the base.

White-throated Woodrat (Neotoma albigula)
Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea), showing its bushy tail.
Holotype: USNM 186485. Neotoma albigula albigula. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is shallow.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.

Comparison with Neotoma devia

The pelage of Neotoma cinerea is variable, but it can be differentiated from the Arizona Woodrat (Neotoma devia) by its large size, bushy tail, and the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1) being deeply notched.

Arizona Woodrat (Neotoma devia)
Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea)
Holotype: USNM 226376. Neotoma devia. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is shallow to obsolete except in very young individuals (Patton et al., 2007).
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.

Comparison with Neotoma lepida

From Hoffmeister (1986): "N. lepida differs from N. cinerea in Arizona in much smaller size, tail far less bushy, hind feet 33 mm or less rather than more, skull smaller in all features although auditory bullae relative to size are more inflated, inter-parietal relatively wider, glans and os penis much longer."

Holotype: USNM 25739/33139. Neotoma lepida lepida. Adult male. Furnace Creek, Death Valley, Inyo County, California. Collected 31 January 1891.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Dorsal view of the skin.
Holotype: USNM 25739/33139. Neotoma lepida lepida. Adult. Upper molars. The anteromedial flexus of anteroloph of M1 is shallow in all but the youngest aged individuals (Patton et al., 2007).
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.

Comparison with Neotoma fuscipes

From Carraway & Verts (1991): "N. fuscipes can be separated from Neotoma with which it is sympatric or parapatric by its grayish-brown dorsum, usually pale or white venter, sooty-colored pelage on top of the hind feet, and the faintly bicolored, scantly haired, terete tail covered with short, dark-sooty colored hairs (Howell, 1926; Jameson and Peeters, 1988)... N. cinerea has a pale gray dorsum and a long bushy tail..."

Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Dorsal view of the skin.
Holotype: USNM 19693. Neotoma fuscipes fuscipes. Adult male. Nicasio, Marin County, California. Collected 25 November 1887.
Arrows point to the sooty-colored fur on the top of the hind feet in the Dusky-footed Woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes).
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.
Holotype: USNM 22026. Neotoma fuscipes fuscipes. Adult male. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.

Comparison with Neotoma macrotis

Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Dorsal view of the skin.
Holotype: USNM 25391/32804. Neotoma macrotis simplex. Adult male. Lone Pine, Owens Valley, Inyo County, California. Collected 25 December 1890.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.
Holotype: USNM 3651/3597. Neotoma macrotis simplex. Adult male. Tehachapi Mountains, California. Collected 1857–1858. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.

Comparison with Neotoma stephensi

From Hoffmeister (1986): "The bushy-tailed N. cinerea may be confused with the semi-bushy tailed N. stephensi. This is especially true in northeastern Arizona where the N. cinerea is considerably smaller. N. cinerea differs from N. stephensi in northeastern Arizona in larger size, both externally and cranially; the hind foot (if accurately measured) in adult and subadult males is 37 mm or more rather than 33 mm or less, in females, 36 mm or more rather than 33 mm or less; greatest length of animal's skull with the second lingual fold on M1 not reaching the alveolus in males is 45 mm or more rather than 42 mm or less, in females, 43.5 mm or more rather than 42 mm or less; in basilar length, in males 36 mm or more rather than 35 mm or less, in females, 36 mm or more rather than 34.5 mm or less; alveolar length of maxillary toothrow longer, 8.6 mm or more rather than less, numerous other size differences of the skull..." Additionally, the antero-medial fold of the first upper molar (M1) is usually absent or shallow in N. stephensi, whereas in N. cinerea the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each M1 is deeply notched (Jones and Hildreth, 1989; Smith, 1997).

Holotype: USNM 117466. Neotoma stephensi stephensi. Adult female. Hualpai (Hualapai) Mountains, Mohave County, Arizona. Collected 1 July 1902.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult female. Charleston Peak, Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. Collected 1 July 1915. Dorsal view of the skin.
Holotype: USNM 117466. Neotoma stephensi stephensi. Adult. Upper molars. The antero-medial fold of the first upper molar (M1) is usually absent or shallow in N. stephensi.
Holotype: USNM 208968. Neotoma cinerea lucida. Adult. Upper molars. Arrows point to the anteromedial flexus of the anteroloph of each upper molar (M1), which is deeply notched.

References

Allen JA. 1895. Descriptions of new North American mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 7:327-340.

Armstrong DM, Fitzgerald JP, Meaney CA. 2010. Mammals of Colorado, Second Edition. Denver (CO, USA): University Press of Colorado.

Brown JH. 1968. Adaptation to environmental temperature in two species of woodrats, Neotoma cinerea and N. albigula. Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 135: 1-48.

Carraway LN, Verts BJ. 1991. Neotoma fuscipes. Mammalian Species (386): 1-10.

Dixon J. 1919. Notes on the natural history of the bushy-tailed wood rats of California. University of California Publications in Zoology 21:49-74.

Findley JS, Harris AH, Wilson DE, Jones C. 1975. Mammals of New Mexico. Albuquerque (NM, USA): University of New Mexico Press, 360 pp.

Finley RB Jr. 1958. The wood rats of Colorado. University of Kansas Publication, Museum of Natural History 10:213-552.

Goldman EA. 1910. Revision of the wood rats of the genus Neotoma. North America Fauna 31:1-124.

Grayson DK, Livingston SD. 1989. High-elevational records for Neotoma cinerea in the White Mountains, California. Great Basin Naturalist 49:392-395.

Hall ER. 1981. The mammals of North America. New York (NY, USA): John Wiley & Sons 2:601-1181 + 90.

Hoffmeister DF. 1986. Mammals of Arizona. Tucson (AZ, USA): University of Arizona Press.

Hooper ET. 1940. Geographical variation in bushy-tailed wood rats. University of California Publications in Zoology 42:407-424.

Howell AB. 1926. Anatomy of the wood rat. Monographs of the American Society of Mammalogists 1:1-225.

Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.

Johnsgard PA. 2020. Wildlife of Nebraska: a natural history. Lincoln (NE, USA): University of Nebraska Press.

Seabloom R, Hoganson JW, Jensen WF. 2020. The mammals of North Dakota. Fargo (ND, USA): North Dakota State University Press.

Smith FA. 1997. Neotoma cinerea. Mammalian Species (564):1-8.