Distribution of the Eastern woodrat, Neotoma floridana, in Missouri

摘要

The range of woodrats (Neotoma fioridana and N. magister) in the eastern United States has become severely restricted (Cudmore, 1983; Humphrey, 1988; Monty et al., 1995; Whitaker and Hamihon, 1998). The Missouri Department of Conservation lists the current status of the eastern woodrat (N. fioridana) in Missouri as undetermined (Missouri Department of Conservation, 1997). Several reasons have been proposed for declines in woodrat populations including: a nematode parasite, Baslisascaris procyonis, contracted from raccoons (Kazacos and Boyce, 1989), harsh winters (Kansas: Fitch and Rainey, 1956; Illinois: Nawrot and Klimstra, 1976), and habitat alteration which not only directly destroys habitat but serves to increase the opportunity of owl predation (Balcolm, 1994). In Missouri, the woodrat's range is considered to be the southern half of the state extending into northwest Missouri (Wiley, 1980), or into the northeast portion of the state (Schwartz and Schwartz, 1981). The eastern woodrat's primary habitat is eastern deciduous forest, but it also occurs in a variety of other habitats (Wiley, 1980). In Missouri, woodrats heavily utilize rocky areas such as limestone bluffs, rock outcrops, caves, or glades (Schwartz and Schwartz, 1981; Britzke, 1998). With the decline in woodrat populations in the eastern part of the country, and the unknown status of the eastern woodrat in Missouri, this study was conducted to determine its present distribution in Missouri.