Pack Rat

Pack rats are sleek, soft-furred animals with big, bright, bulging black eyes.   They belong to a native family of rats and mice that have hair on their long tails,    four toes on front feet and five toes on the hind feet.  This family includes Grasshopper mice, Harvest mice, Cactus mice, Deer mice, Cotton rat, Wood rat and Muskrats.

Inveterate collectors

Pack rats love to collect and transport all kinds of things including pieces of paper and all types of shiny objects.  Their nest is a heap of sticks, stones and cactus joints and rubbish pitched  against a tree trunk or under a bush.  Actually, this pile of stuff is only the outer part of their quarters.  Inside there are tunnels and from 1 to 3 chambers that they use for resting and storing seeds and other food.

Young born blind

Their nest is underground and the place of greatest security.  This is where the young are born.  after a 4 week gestation period. Two or three young are born blind and remain that way  for 17 days.  By the time they are 3 months old they are weaned.

On the move

Pack rats are persistent travelers spending their nights scurrying about on limbs of shrubs or taking exploratory excursions over trails they have previously established.   Night is their time for picking up insects, seeds, small berries  either to eat immediately or store.  They also bring in the numerous sticks, cactus joints, and other objects they use for making or protecting their homes.   They discourage a predators curiosity by  by placing pieces of prickly pear or cholla in front of the entrance to the nest.

Predators include coyotes

Coyotes prey on them.  Snakes and hawks hunt them by day and snakes and owls by night.