Eight subspecies of the eastern woodrat are currently recognized: N. f. illinoensis, N. f. floridana (the nominate), N. f. smalli, N. f. baileyi, N. f. pennsylvanica, N. f. attwateri, N. f. osagensis, and N. f. rubida.
[2][3] The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) was previously considered a subspecies but was elevated to species status based on comparative mitochondrial DNA analyses.
[4] Subspecies are thought to be descended from one species living along the Appalachian Plateau, which subsequently spread out through the Coastal Plain.
[citation needed] The eastern woodrat is a rodent of medium size, with an average length of 21.2 centimetres (8.3 in) and weight of 245 grams (0.540 lb),[3] but grows up to 17 inches (43 cm) long.
[7] They can be seen in places like woodlands,[8] prairies, mountains, swamps,[9] and lowland hardwood forests as far west as Colorado.
The primary cause for this decline in the southeastern United States has been habitat destruction due to human development of the coastal plains.
[11] The species has been recovered as a fossil from late Pleistocene deposits in southeastern New Mexico, several hundred miles southwest of its nearest current range.
[13] The species inhabits wooded areas, swamps and hedges, with a variety of different habitat preferences reported for the recognized geographic subspecies.
[1] Nests can be located in and around rocky bluffs, upland woods, swamps and hammocks, dry scrub pine, grasslands, abandoned buildings, marshes, and refuse piles.
[6] The nest can be constructed from a variety of different materials, such as sticks and branches, rocks, dry dung, tin cans, glass shards, and lined with dry grass, crushed bark, bird feathers, and even rotting wood, acorn fragments, and loose soil.
Being solitary, the rats tend not to stray much farther than 21 metres (69 ft) from their nests unless sexually active or for a preferred food.
[11] As with most members of the genus, the Eastern Woodrat feeds opportunistically on nuts, seeds, fungi, buds, stems, roots, foliage, and fruits.
It is the habit of collecting and storing both food and nonfood items that has earned the eastern woodrat is other common name of "pack-rat" or "trade rat".
They feed on almost any kind of plant material including leaves, roots and tubers, wood, bark, stems, and seeds.
Those in warmer climates (e.g. Florida and Georgia) can reproduce all year, while eastern wood rats in higher latitudes (e.g. Kansas and Nebraska) breed from early spring to mid fall.
Most common predators are the great horned owl, spotted skunk, long-tailed weasel, red fox, raccoon, and the timber rattlesnake, along with other various snakes.
Once the eggs hatch, the botfly larvae penetrate the skin and lodge in the woodrat's neck, chest, and abdomen until pupation.
Larvae migrate to the brain, causing a lack of energy, loss of muscle control, and eventually death.
[24] Eastern woodrat nests provide homes for a number of other species including, but not limited to, other rodents, insects, reptiles, and frogs.
[27] The study of feces from prehistoric woodrat middens has been of great use in archaeological and paleontological research by providing indications about changing floral regimes.
[27] The eastern woodrat does not have any economic impact on humans, but may receive blame for damages made by black or Norway rats.
Based on the historical records, it appears that extremely cold winters can cause a dramatic decline in populations.
In 1948 and 1949, long winters with accumulation of snow and ice might have caused high mortality of litters in Kansas and starvation of adults.
In South Carolina, massive development and urbanization, including forest clearance and road expansion, have led to habitat loss and isolation of woodrat populations.
Eruptions of the gypsy moth in the basin of the Lower Mississippi River in 1964 and 1965 resulted in poor acorn and chestnut crops and subsequently in increased mortality in eastern woodrats in the area.
[29] In 2003, The Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida department of Environmental Protection jointly initiated a program for the removal of feral and free-roaming cats from conservation areas occupied by woodrats, which has proven largely successful.
[11] The species has been reintroduced in several areas including Pine Hills, Union County and some sites in Missouri.
[10] Reintroduction areas need to be checked for adequate food supplies, shelter resources and absence of raccoon roundworm.
It has been suggested that the sex ratio be skewed toward females because eastern woodrats are polygynous, and that a genetically diverse stock be used to improve adaptability and survival rates.