Characteristics

• Adult Size: 9-13 inches long; tail is about 35% of total length.

• Appearance: Very stout, with shortish tail. Generally dark brown, or mixed buff and black, with greyish-white underside.

• Habitat: Prefers grassland areas with tall grass, but can be found in fields or prairie. Generally found in moist areas. When living in barren terrain, they usually reside in mesquite dens. The cotton rat prefers to nest in burrows or clumps of grass, weeds, sedges, or brush, for concealment and protection.

• Miscellaneous: The cotton rat is described in the "Sigmodon" genus because it's last two lower molars form the shape of an "S". Feeds primarily on green vegitation; also feeds on the eggs of ground-nesting birds.

Range

The cotton rat can be found all over the American southeast, with a diminishing population extending west of Texas. The cotton rat is also found all across Mexico, with the exception of the Baja peninsula.

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