Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

Hispid Cotton Rat photographed on shoulder of road through Everglades National Park, Florida.
Photograph by David La Puma. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

HISPID COTTON RAT FACTS

Description
The Hispid Cotton Rat is a sturdy rat with grizzled brown fur above and grayish-white fur underneath. The coat also has longer stiff black guard hairs. The tail is shorter than the head and body.

Size
total length: 27cm

Environment
habitats with grassland and some shrub cover

Food
mainly green plants, also some invertebrates and other small animals and carrion

Breeding
A litter of up to 15 young is born in a ball-shaped nest made of woven grasses after a gestation period of about 27 days. The young weigh about 6g at birth and are weaned in 10-15 days

Range
from Virginia to Nebraska and south to northern parts of South America

Notes
The Hispid Cotton Rat has some resistance to the venom of the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.

Classification

Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Muridae
Genus:	Sigmodon
Species:	hispidus
Common Name:	Hispid Cotton Rat

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