Hispid Cotton Rat
Sigmodon hispidus
Conservation Status
Least ConcernMammalia · Rodentia · Cricetidae
About
The hispid cotton rat is a rat long thought to occur in parts of South America, Central America, and southern North America. However, recent taxonomic revisions, based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data, have split this widely distributed species into three separate species. The distribution of S. hispidus ranges from Arizona in the west to Virginia to the east and from the Platte River in Nebraska in the north to, likely, the Rio Grande in the south, where it meets the northern edge of the distribution of S. toltecus. Adult size is total length 202–340 mm (8.0–13.4 in); tail 87–122 mm (3.4–4.8 in), frequently broken or stubbed; hind foot 29–35 mm (1.1–1.4 in); ear 16–20 mm (0.63–0.79 in); mass 50–250 g (1.8–8.8 oz). They have been used as laboratory animals.
Fun Fact
Hispid cotton rats are so prolific that a single female can produce up to 15 litters per year, and their populations can explode to 200 individuals per hectare — making them a major agricultural pest across the southern United States.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Grasslands and fields
Diet
Herbivore
Lifespan
1-2 years
Threats
- Invasive Species
- Overgrazing