If you’ve lived down south for long enough, you’re probably no stranger to some of the rats on this list. But with the onset of overpopulation hitting the sunshine state, we’re also getting a handful of the kind you’re more likely to find in huge metropolitan cities. But, today we’ll be discussing the Native Florida rats, and whether or not they are truly pest animals, and what you can do if they’re in your home.
What are some native Florida rats?
There are quite a few species of rat in Florida, and the invasive species are on the rise as more and more people flock down south and crowd everything out. But today we’ll be talking about three natives. The Florida woodrat, the Cotton Rat, and the Marsh Rice Rat. And to begin, we’ll be starting with the Cotton Rat.
The Cotton Rat
The cotton rat is most well known for it’s reproduction ability. It’s what they’re honestly built for. In fact, a single female can be the ancestor of fifteen thousand rats in the space of only a year under the right conditions. But, they have natural controls. The population of this rat would explode out of control otherwise.
These are small and robust rodents. They have short, stout bodies and are only about 8 inches in length on average. Their tail is also shorter than their total body length. Their fur is a salt-and-pepper pattern mixture of tan, black, and grey with buff undersides. They have scaly, thinly furred tails that are dark on the top and lighter-colored beneath. They have large ears and eyes that are well hidden in their shaggy hair.
These rats occur primarily in open fields, or on the borders of fields with dense and tall grass. They also live along roadsides and near farms quite often. They build small nests made of grasses and plant fibers and create runways to make travel easier.
Speaking of those natural checks and balances I mentioned earlier. These rats are kept in check by their wealth of predators. This includes birds, snakes, mammals, reptiles, and even fish if they end up in a body of water. Breeding occurs all year long in this species. The gestation period is 27 days on average, and they produce several litters of young per year.
Florida Wood Rat
Next, we have the Florida Wood Rat. This is, in fact, a threatened species of native Florida rats. Destruction of its habitat and the excessive introduction of non-native predators has pushed these guys’ backs against the wall. This species is grayish-brown on its top, and white or grey underneath. It has a two-tone tail that is less than half the length of its total, which is usually around twelve inches. They weigh between seven and sixteen ounces on average. They also have large, mickey mouse-Esque ears that look almost too big for their heads.
They’re found throughout the mid to upper parts of the state. The Wood Rat also eats only nuts and fruits, which makes them a key part in keeping a healthy hardwood hammock thanks to their spreading of seeds. The nests they create also provide shelter for a range of other animals.
As mentioned above, farming, land clearing, and the introduction of the Burmese pythons and feral cats have put this species in danger. The current population of this rat right now is roughly two hundred individuals.
Thankfully, the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and its small handful of employees are making an effort to help save this Florida native. They’ve started a program that involves installing artificial nests, which evidence suggests significantly bolsters the population of this small rodent. Alongside these efforts, the park’s employees make sure to try and catch and deal with any invasive Burmese pythons.
Marsh Rice Rat
And finally on our list of Florida native rats is the Marsh Rice Rat. This is a medium-sized generalized rat, which is usually about seven inches long and weighs less than three ounces. Their backs are gray or grayish-brown in color, and their undersides, tail, and feet are usually white. Their fur is thick and short. But in Florida, they usually have a more reddish coloration than other populations of the species.
They have small cheek pouches for storing food for later. They occur in much of the eastern and southern U.S., being found all the way up to New Jersey. Carbon dating has also allowed us to see that this rat has been around Florida for at least three hundred thousand years. These rats are most active during the night, so they are rarely seen, despite being very common rodents. They build nests out of sedge and grass and prefer to live in shrubby areas, or near aquatic vegetation.
These rats are extremely good swimmers, swimming more than thirty feet above average on regular occasions. They’re not climbers, though, and rarely climb higher than three feet into the air. They also have poor eyesight, being able to see less than around thirty feet in front of them.
Much like the other native Florida rats on this list, they are heavily featured in the diets of many predators. In fact, 97.5 percent of the remains in barn owl pellets were marsh rats. Other predatory species include red foxes, barred owls, snakes, alligators, raccoons, possums, and just about everything bigger than the rat that eats meat.
Unlike other rats, you usually won’t find more than four of these guys per acre of land. Population size is usually largest during the summer and declines in the colder months. They tend to lose weight during winter as well, thanks to a decrease in available foods. It holds a different niche from the oft-encountered cotton rat mentioned above, as they are mainly active during the day- this helps keep these two native niches separate.
Are native rats PESTS?
All in all? Honestly, no. Of course, there are rare occasions where they will try to live in your home, you’ll usually find that pest rats belong to invasive species. Primarily, these will be brown rats and roof rats, as opposed to the native Florida rats.
