Cpt.Caveman Posted July 25, 2001 Share Posted July 25, 2001 If anyone decides to eat one of these varmints soon please let me know so I can get pictures of this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted July 26, 2001 Share Posted July 26, 2001 As an ecologist and climber I never heard this term until moving to the NW. Yes, the likely suspect is Neotoma cinerea, the bush-tailed woodrat, though its range runs into that of Neotoma fuscipes, the dusky-footed woodrat, in the Oregon Cascades. As the name implies, the busy-tailed woodrat has, yes, a bushy tail. Though a pain, especially during bivies - I've had them perch on my head- they're quite resourceful and there's some evidence that some species use eco-location in caves and in the talus jumble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted July 27, 2001 Share Posted July 27, 2001 I finally spotted one: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Yount Posted July 27, 2001 Share Posted July 27, 2001 Hey, was out casually climbing at Index yesterday and rediscovered some info in my guidebook: "Mountain rats are becoming a nuisance in all the mining camps. The Cascade Mountain rat is entirely different from his voracious brother of the Rocky mountains. Those around Monte Cristo are bobtailed with very large ears and when cornered or alarmed in any way, stamp repeatedly with both hind feet like a rabbit." Everett Daily Herald September 5, 1895 Beckey used this quote in his 1976 Darrington & Index rock climbing guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolanr Posted July 31, 2001 Share Posted July 31, 2001 So that's it, somebody came up w/ a hybrid of a rat and a bobtail wildcat, that's why them damn snafflehounds are so ornery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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