12/27/2023 0 Comments Packrat examFor example, packrats relieve themselves frequently in a not so sanitary manner they discharge their highly concentrated urine within their living quarters, where it then permeates into the bottom layers of the den forming a tacky dark residue known as amberat. The fact that Neotoma lepida does not conserve water like other more evolved desert rodents is the primary reason why their midden nests have endured over time. Packrats have a profound tendency to use former midden sites to the extreme paleontologists have documented middens of desert woodrats, protected from rain and elements, which have persisted over thousands of years, with some of the oldest confirmed by radiocarbon dating back more than 50,000 years old. Together this collected assortment of material helps to protect, insulate and maintain a comfortably humid climate for the packrat inhabitant in the upper reaches of its nest. Much of what they collect provides sustenance and what they do not consume becomes part of the midden along with the rat’s own fecal pellets. Their assemblage is a collection of mostly organic materials, including cholla cactus bits which serve as a prickly deterrent to those before-mentioned predators, as well as twigs, leaves, fruits, rocks, bone, seeds and, on occasion, a few shiny human-made mementos when they happen across them. Within the one-acre zone surrounding the den, packrats-as their name designates-gather materials of all sorts of desert debris. Given the opportunity, packrats will build nests in human castoffs like an engine compartment of a vehicle that has remained in one spot too long. Instead of burrowing underground, packrats construct dens in a variety of locations-for instance, a protected ring of woody yucca, or better yet a rocky outcrop located in a cave or under a shady boulder overhang. Neotoma lepida is, for the most part, a nocturnal and solitary creature which hoards for very practical and specific reasons. Their geographic range is vast, extending far south into Baja California and northwestern Sonora northward throughout the deserts of the Great Basin and east into western Utah, Arizona and Colorado. With their dark eyes and tawny brown coats, they are quite handsome. Unlike its packrat cousins living in more temperate climates, Neotoma lepida is rather small in comparison, ranging from eleven to fifteen inches in length, including its tail, and weighing in at around a third of a pound. To prosper, these desert denizens must construct elaborate multilayered dens called middens (an archeological term for a domestic trash heap) where they can escape the heat of the day or perhaps a hungry predator looking for a late afternoon snack. Compared with other rodents of the Mojave Desert, such as the kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys deserti), it does not tolerate high temperatures well, requiring ample water and succulent food sources to survive within its arid environment. The desert woodrat ( Neotoma lepida )-more popularly known as the packrat-is by design not well suited for desert living.
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