Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Stephens's Woodrat

Neotoma stephensi

Goldman, 1905

Stephens's Woodrat

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102835
Element CodeAMAFF08060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilyCricetidae
GenusNeotoma
Other Common Names
Stephens's woodrat (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-11-12
Change Date1996-11-12
Range Extent Comments
Western New Mexico from Grant County north and from central Arizona north to southern Utah and as far west as Mohave County south of the Colorado River (Jones and Hildreth 1989).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rocky areas (usually not cliffs) in pinyon-juniper woodland. Sometimes among yellow pines or among cacti and agave. Dens are built of debris among rocks or around base of tree; den sometimes is above ground in juniper.

Reproduction

Breeds winter-early fall; most juveniles appear in population in March-May. Litter size usually is 1-5 (average 2) Perhaps up to two or more litters per year. Most females are sexually mature at 9-10 months. Few females survive to reproduce a second season. (Vaughan and Czaplewski 1985, Hoffmeister 1986).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
Navajo NationS4Yes
ArizonaS5Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
UtahS1Yes
Roadless Areas (2)
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Frisco BoxGila National Forest38,979
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
References (25)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Banks, E. M., R. J. Brooks, and J. Schnell. 1975. A radiotracking study of home range and activity of the brown lemming (<i>Lemmus trimucronatus</i>). Journal of Mammalogy 56:888-901.
  3. Bowman, J. C., M. Edwards, L. S. Sheppard, and G. J. Forbes. 1999. Record distance for a non-homing movement by a deer mouse, <i>Peromyscus maniculatus</i>. Canadian Field-Naturalist 113:292-293.
  4. Bradley, R. D., C. W. Edwards, L. L. Lindsey, J. R. Bateman, M. NB Cajimat, M. L. Milazzo, C. F. Fulhorst, M. D. Matocq, and M. R. Mauldin. 2022. Reevaluation of the phylogenetic relationships among Neotomini rodents (<i>Hodomys</i>, <i>Neotoma</i>, and <i>Xenomys</i>) and comments on the woodrat classification. Journal of Mammalogy 103(5):1221-1236.
  5. Brooks, R. J., and E. M. Banks. 1971. Radio-tracking study of lemming home range. Communications in Behavioral Biology 6:1-5.
  6. Castleberry, S., B., T. L. King, P. B. Wood, and W. M. Ford. 2002. Microsatellite DNA analysis of population structure in Allegheny woodrats (<i>Neotoma magister</i>). Journal of Mammalogy 83:1058-1070.
  7. Douglass, R. J. 1977. Population dynamics, home ranges, and habitat associations of the yellow-cheeked vole, <i>Microtus xanthognathus</i>, in the Northwest Territories. Canadian Field-Naturalist 91:237-47.
  8. Findley, J. S., A. H. Harris, D. E. Wilson, and C. Jones. 1975. Mammals of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 360 pp.
  9. Garland, T., Jr. and W. G. Bradley. 1984. Effects of a highway on Mojave Desert rodent populations. American Midland Naturalist 111:47-56.
  10. Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I &amp; II. John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
  11. Hoffmeister, D. F. 1986. Mammals of Arizona. University of Arizona Press and Arizona Game and Fish Department. 602 pp.
  12. Ingles, L. G. 1965. Mammals of the Pacific States. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.
  13. Jike, L., G. O. Batzli, L. L. Geta. 1988. Home ranges of prairie voles as determined by radiotracking and by powdertracking. Journal of Mammalogy 69:183-186.
  14. Jones, C., and N. J. Hildreth. 1989. <i>Neotoma stephensi</i>. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 328:1-3.
  15. Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
  16. Krohne, D. T., and G. A. Hoch. 1999. Demography of <i>Peromyscus leucopus</i> populations on habitat patches: the role of dispersal. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77:1247-1253.
  17. MacMillen, R. E. 1964. Population ecology, water relations and social behavior of a southern California semidesert rodent fauna. University of California Publications in Zoology 71:1-59.
  18. Maier, T. J. 2002. Long-distance movements by female white-footed mice, <i>Peromyscus leucopus</i>, in extensive mixed-wood forest. Canadian Field-Naturalist 116:108-111.
  19. Oxley, D. J., M. B. Fenton and G. R. Carmody. 1974. The effects of roads on populations of small mammals. Journal of Applied Ecology 11: 51-59.
  20. Rehmeier, R. L., G. A. Kaufman, and D. W. Kaufman. 2004. Long-distance movements of the deer mouse in tallgrass prairie. Journal of Mammalogy 85:562-568.
  21. Smith, M. H. 1965. Dispersal capacity of the dusky-footed wood rat, <i>Neotoma fuscipes</i>. American Midland Naturalist 74:457-463.
  22. Storer, T. I., F. C. Evans, and F. G. Palmer. 1944. Some rodent populations in the Sierra Nevada of California. Ecological Monographs 14:166-192.
  23. Vaughan, T. A., and N. J. Czaplewski. 1985. Reproduction in Stephens' woodrat: the wages of folivory. J. Mamm. 66: 429-443.
  24. Wilkins, K. T. 1982. Highways as barriers to rodent dispersal. Southwestern Naturalist 27: 459-460.
  25. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.