Species MammalsDesert Woodrat

Desert Woodrat

Neotoma lepida

CommonMammal
Illustration of Desert Woodrat (Neotoma lepida)

The Desert Woodrat is a pale, relatively small woodrat that inhabits the driest deserts of the Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin, surviving on the water contained in cactus pads and desert plants. It builds its stick house among cactus clumps, using the spines as a natural barrier against predators. Desert woodrats are strict specialists and rarely occur more than a few hundred feet from rocky or cactus habitat.

Habitat
Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin desert scrub
Diet
Cactus pads, desert plant material, and seeds
How common
Common

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