The Eastern Wood Rat, Neotoma floridana osagensis: A Laboratory Colony

• Published in: Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 1968, Vol.71 (3), p.361-372
• Main Author: Knoch, Harold W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Laboratory; Behavior, Animal; Ecological life histories; Female; Female animals; Gestation period; Litter size; Litter weight; Male; Male animals; Mating behavior; Placenta; Rats; Reproduction
• ISSN: 0022-8443; 1938-5420
• DOI: 10.2307/3627154

A small colony of wood rats (Neotoma floridana osagensis) was maintained in captivity for a period of 6 months. During this time 5 successful matings took place, 3 of which were observed and described. The gestation period was found to be 33 to 36 days for litters resulting from these matings. The placenta of newborn young is described. The sex of newborn young could be determined by measuring the rectum to papilla distance. This distance was twice as large in males as in females. Young were weighed and measured daily from birth to 24 days and at greater intervals thereafter. The growth rate for the first 24 days was found to be 1.06 gms/day. Some behavioral traits are noted. There have been numerous reports of various species of wood rats being kept in captivity. Prominent among these have been colonies of the desert wood rat, (Neotoma lepida lepida) (Egoscue, 1957) and the bushy-tailed wood rat, (N. cinerea acraia) (Egoscue, 1962) in Utah. The colony of desert wood rats is currently producing 400-500 individuals a year (Egoscue, personal communication). Subspecies of N. floridana have been treated less comprehensively. Svihla and Svihla (1933) reported notes on several pairs of captive N. f. rubida. Poole (1940) kept four pairs and four litters of N. f. magister in captivity. Worth (1950) made observations on a "number" of captive N. f. floridana. Pearson (1952) and Chapman (1952) reported on different aspects of the reproduction of N. f. floridana. Hamilton (1953) has reared young of this same subspecies in "large outdoor cages." Rainey (1956) gave an account of the growth and development of a litter of N. f. osagensis. The present paper reports on a small colony of N. f. osagensis kept in captivity for six months during which time three successful matings were observed, the gestation period was determined for five litters, growth and development were recorded for the young of these litters, and observations were made on the maintenance and behavior of these animals.