cotton rat
Sigmodon hispidus

Preferred prey species can include voles, cotton rats and ground squirrels.

The cotton rat is mainly active during the day, which may help differentiate its niche from that of the rice rat.

Sand pine scrub has little ground cover and is marginal habitat for hispid cotton rats.

Hispid cotton rats have been noted as one of the most prolific mammals in the Southeast.

Male hispid cotton rats exhibit a lower degree of habitat selectivity than females.

The mean hispid cotton rat population density range for all studies was 5.3 to 31.1 rats per hectare.

A cotton rat is any member of the rodent genus Sigmodon.

The molars of cotton rats are S-shaped when viewed from above.

In the far south, the rabbits and hare are sometimes replaced by cotton rats as the primary food source.

It does not usually make its own runways in vegetation, but may use those of other rodents, such as cotton rats.