Allegheny Woodrat: Rare Appalachian Wild Rat May Look at a Bright Future Amidst the Pandemic

On a foggy morning in western Maryland's Allegheny Mountains, biologist Dan Feller holds a hairy rodent in his hands, ready to release it.

The brownish-gray creature hops onto a rock and vanishes. Then, just as Feller said, it reappears on a nearby rock, patiently watching them. Given that Feller had just minutes previously gently captured the animal and branded its ear, this behavior is astounding.

Allegheny Woodrat

The Allegheny woodrat is a unique rodent found in the Appalachian Mountains and sections of the Midwest. The species is naturally interesting and gentle towards humans, a feature not shared by most other animals in the eastern United States.

The hairy-tailed rat, which weighs one pound, is also interesting because its population is rapidly and mysteriously declining. The species is locally extinct in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts and is listed as endangered or vulnerable across much of its range, especially in the north. For example, in just four decades, Pennsylvania has lost 75 percent of its woodrat population, with only one group remaining in New Jersey and Ohio.

Decrease in Population

According to Feller of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland's woodrat population has decreased by more than 65 percent since the 1990s. He has captured hundreds of woodrats over the last three decades, but he is lucky to catch a dozen in a single year, indicating a troubling trend.

Scientists are baffled as to why the large-eyed species are vanishing, despite the fact that it utilizes its long, sensitive whiskers to navigate through its dark tunnels and tunnels. It's most likely a mixture of circumstances, including the American chestnut blight in the 1900s, which wiped away a major food supply, and the raccoon roundworm, a fast-spreading parasite.

According to Feller, because of the uncertainties and the several states involved, bringing those working on Alleghany woodrat conservation together has been difficult.

Conservation Amidst the Pandemic

After a regional conference was postponed due to the pandemic in 2020, mammalogists from 13 states began meeting monthly via Zoom to share data and methods for recovering the rodent population.

According to Feller, this united strategy has energized woodrat conservation, especially now that state biologists have networked and can more quickly collaborate to bid for larger funds.

For Andrea Shipley, mammalogist for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, a study to survey woodrat colony locations will begin in 2020 due to this new relationship.

Importance of Data Gathering

According to Howard Whidden, a small mammal and conservation biologist at Pennsylvania's East Stroudsburg University, more consistent population data from the working group will provide states a clearer sense of how many woodrats exist and help shape conservation measures.

Involving Zoos

The working group is also contacting zoos in the eastern United States, pushing them to breed Allegheny woodrats in captivity to expand their wild population.