- Comments:
Hispid cotton rats forage at dusk and dawn and rarely store their food.
Their bristly fur is yellowish-brown with flecks of black and gray on top and whitish-gray
below. Unlike other rats their tails are relatively short. Females can produce many
litters from spring through fall with 7-9 young per litter. Average lifespan in the wild
is less than one year.
- Distribution:
Hispid cotton rats range from South America to the southeast and south-central
United States. They live in prairies, uncultivated croplands, shrublands and wetlands of
Kansas.
- Food:
Hispid cotton rats feed on grass stems, leaves, seeds, grains, cotton, insects and
small vertebrates, including mice and fledgling birds.
Other Kansas Rodents
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