Allegheny woodrat

Allegheny woodrats have exceptional senses of hearing, sight, touch, and smell. They have big ears which can capture sounds and detect the direction from which the sound came. Allegheny woodrats have large eyes and can see well even in the dark. A similar species, eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana), can see red lights that many other animals cannot, and it is likely that Allegheny woodrats can as well. Allegheny woodrats have particularly long whiskers for rodents, and the longest whisker recorded was 9 cm in length. These long whiskers are sensitive to touch and allow woodrats to feel their surroundings. Whiskers help with navigation of caves and crevasses and to detect nearby movement, alerting them to possible danger. During the breeding season, Allegheny woodrats use elongated scent glands along the sides of their stomachs to communicate their location to potential mates. These glands secrete an oily, smelly liquid. Woodrats drag their bodies across the ground to transfer the scent and mark their territory. Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical Other Communication Modes: scent marks Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; vibrations ; chemi

via IUCN

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Neotoma magister.jpg

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