Summary ⁷

The marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) is a semiaquatic North American rodent in the family Cricetidae. It usually occurs in wetland habitats such as swamps and salt marshes. It is found mostly in the eastern and southern United States, from New Jersey and Kansas south to Florida and northeasternmost Tamaulipas, Mexico; its range previously extended further west and north, where it may have been a commensal in corn-cultivating communities. Weighing about 40 to 80 g (1.4 to...

Description ⁸

"Marsh rice rats are among the most common mammals inhabiting tidal marshes of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Being good swimmers, diving to 10 m and crossing 300 m stretches of water, and able climbers, these rice rats are suitably equipped for life in an environment where water levels fluctuate. They and Coues's rice rats are carnivores: they prey on crabs, clams, snails, fish, insects, baby turtles, and birds. As opportunistic feeders, they will also eat carrion and even some plant material. In some places, they breed throughout the year, and in other places, they breed from March to October. A litter of five, after a gestation of about 25 days, is typical. In a little over a week, the newborn rats' eyes open and they are beginning to nibble solid food. They are weaned before they are three weeks old. As with many nocturnal rodents, owls are the main predator."

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Sources and Credits

1. (c) Jeremy Yoder, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/87484925@N00/4017618436
2. Edward A. Goldman, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Oryzomys_palustris_distribution_Goldman.png
3. Edward A. Goldman, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Oryzomys_palustris_molars.png
4. Edward A. Goldman, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Oryzomys_palustris_skulls_Goldman.png
5. Southeast Ecological Science Center, USGS ([http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/Information_Technology/Disclaimer/disclaimer.html)., no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Oryzomys_palustris_Paynes.jpg
6. Edward A. Goldman, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Oryzomys_palustris_skull_lateral.png
7. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryzomys_palustris
8. (c) Smithsonian Institution, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/16146941

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• ASM Mammal Diversity Database
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• iNaturalist Mammal Working Group
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet

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