Are You Too a 'Pack Rat'?

Have you  ever wondered how  this nickname came about?  Perhaps someone has  called you a 'pack rat' because you have a tendency to keep items and never throw anything away . This nickname is based on the peculiar habits of a  group of native  rodents from North America. Pack rats, also known as woodrats, have sleek bodies, soft brown-gray or reddish brown coats; big and bulging black eyes; four toes on their front feet and five toes on their hind feet.  There are several species of pack rats in the U.S., but only one in the east.  The Allegheny wood rat (Neotoma  magister) is largely an inhabitant of remote mountainous or high plateau areas with mature forest cover and rocky habitats.  Because this secretive mammal has declined from its past abundance, it is officially listed as a threatened species here in Pennsylvania.  The name "rat" does not bring pleasant thoughts to most people, but our native and shy wood rat is not related to the non-native rat species that inhabit cities and farms.  The later species were introduced to this continent from the Old World.

Wood rats are commonly called pack rats or trade rats because of their collection and storage of various objects and bits of material, almost anything and everything they can get  find, from foliage to trash.  These items are either used in the construction of their nests or stored nearby. They are especially fond of small, shiny objects, such as sunglasses, aluminum cans and tinfoil, all of which they will readily confiscate if left unattended at a campsite. Quite often these prized items are trash that hikers and other outdoor adventurers may have left behind, or in some cases may have had confiscated during their stay. Nocturnal by nature, these creatures typically aren't seen by people. Wood rats are persistent travelers that spend their nights scurrying about on limbs of shrubs or taking exploratory excursions over previously established trails. So if you are a hiker, beware and be sure to secure your sunglasses and other personal items or else they may not be where you put them in the morning.

In the event you are a victim of a wood rat's curiosity, don't fret because a popular superstition is that the wood rat is a fair businessman. When a wood rat sequesters something, it is said to almost always leave behind a replacement that is of equal value (of course this is subject to the pack rat's bias).  The story is that often times, while carrying  away one treasure, the wood rat may see another object that is more appealing, and subsequently leaves the first object in place of the new found trophy. These creatures give new meaning to the saying, "What is one man's trash is another man's treasure."

Today's photo of the rat nest was taken by WPC Volunteer Jennifer Guyton, and the inset of a wood rat was taken by the Pennsylvania Game Commision's Hal Korber.

For more information about the Allegheny Wood Rat, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission's website under threatened species. Resources accessed to write tidbit: Desert USA; Desert Foothills Scenic Drive; and the Indiana Karst Conservancy websites.

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