Hispid Cotton Rat

Sigmodon hispidus

The Hispid Cotton Rat is a small, furry animal that loves to live in grassy areas. They have soft fur and big ears, making them cute and fun to watch as they scurry around!

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The Hispid Cotton Rat has a coarse, bristly coat of grizzled gray-brown fur, with lighter white or buff fur on its belly. It has a stocky body, short ears, and a medium-length tail, making it look robust.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseMammaliaOrdnungRodentiaFamilieCricetidaeGattungSigmodon

Hispid Cotton Rat

Kategorie

Säugetiere

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

A mother cotton rat can have up to 15 babies in a single litter, wow!

Cotton rats actually got their name because they love to line their nests with cotton!

They make neat 'runways' through tall grass, like secret highways for their family!

They sometimes 'clip' tall grass stems, leaving little hay piles to dry!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Hispid Cotton Rat has a stiff, coarse coat that helps protect it from minor injuries and predators.

Hispid Cotton Rat can have many litters each year, allowing its population to grow quickly in good conditions.

Hispid Cotton Rat can clip tall grass stems with its sharp teeth, creating clear paths and gathering food.

Hispid Cotton Rat builds intricate nests of grass and plant fibers to keep its babies safe and warm.

Maße und Details

Länge: 20-36 cm
Gewicht: 0.05-0.25 kg
Lebenserwartung: 1-2 Jahre
Top Speed: 13 km/h
Wurfgröße: 2-15
Tragzeit: 27 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

This rat mostly eats plants like grass and seeds, but also enjoys the occasional insect.

Hauptnahrung

grass stems
seeds
leaves
insects
fruits

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Coyote

Canis latrans

A common predator in its range.

eaten by

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Hunts cotton rats from above at night.

eaten by

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus

Ambushes cotton rats in grassy habitats.

eats

Sorghum

Sorghum bicolor

Consumes seeds and stems of this common crop.

eats

American Grasshopper

Schistocerca americana

An occasional insect part of its varied diet.

Merkmale

Pelzig

Pelzig beschreibt Tiere, die eine dichte Schicht aus weichen Haaren oder Fell besitzen.

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.

Graben

Grabende Tiere heben Tunnel und Kammern im Erdboden aus und nutzen diese unterirdischen Strukturen als Unterschlupf, zur Jagd oder zur Fortpflanzung.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.