Stephen's Woodrat is a specialist of juniper woodlands in the Colorado Plateau region, almost entirely dependent on one-seed juniper as its primary food. It has detoxification pathways specialized for the toxic phenolic compounds found in juniper that would harm most other herbivores. The woodrat builds stick houses in or beneath juniper trees and rarely ventures far from its host plant.
Not certain it is a Stephen's Woodrat? What animal is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Stephen's Woodrat sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Stephen's Woodrat? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.
Get HuckGet an alert when a Stephen's Woodrat is spotted
Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.
Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.
Love mammals? Get Huck field notes
Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.