The Hispid Cotton Rat is a robust, coarse-furred rat of the southern United States and Mexico that thrives in dense grassy habitats. It has extremely high reproductive potential and populations can explode rapidly when food is plentiful, becoming a significant agricultural pest. Cotton rats are important prey for many raptors, especially the Northern Harrier.
Habitat
Grassy fields, cotton fields, marsh edges, and roadsides
Diet
Grasses, sedge seeds, and insects
How common
Common
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