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Dusky-footed Woodrat

Peterson B Moose, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, no known copyright restrictions (public domain)

Dusky-footed Woodrat

Neotoma fuscipes

mammalView on iNaturalist

CA: Threatened, CA Special Concern

California Species of Special Concern, habitat fragmentation and loss

Large dark-furred rodent with bushy tail, builds stick mounds. Creates microhabitats; impacts seed dispersal and soil dynamics in native chaparral and oak ecosystems.

Plants that support Dusky-footed Woodrat

5 plants

California Fescue

Festuca californica

moderate

grass

Year-round food source, seeds cached for winter

Bay Area native

Foothill Sedge

Carex tumulicola

high

grass

evergreen cover and nesting material in foothill meadows year-round

Bay Area native

Santa Cruz Manzanita

Arctostaphylos andersonii

moderate

perennial herb

Uses manzanita foliage in construction and lining of nests; year-round dietary component in coastal scrub

Bay Area nativeKeystone species

Swamp Carex

Carex senta

moderate

grass

incorporated into nest material and supplemental diet year-round in coastal scrub and woodland habitats

Bay Area native

Western Rush

Juncus occidentalis

moderate

grass

Uses dense rush vegetation and associated plant material for nest construction and cover

Bay Area native