Packrat; bushy tailed woodrat

Description:

Large rat with a bushy tail and extremely odorous urine; collects odd items to put in its nest. White chest and feet, dark gray guard hairs over a lighter brown.

Habitat:

Douglas fir/western hemlock/sitka spruce mature forest, unmanaged, not far from streams. Temperate rain forest about 3 miles from the Pacific beach.

Notes:

These rats eat plants high in oxalic acid, accounting for the real stink they make. They are relatively unafraid of humans, and when I released this guy from the livetrap, he stuck around and checked me out, ran to the top of the box, and hung out several minutes longer than I thought he would. Other rats will run right off when released. Packrats are my least favorite home invader due to their destructiveness, smell, and loud chewing.