Changes in Cache Contents over Winter in Artificial Dens of the Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma floridana)

• DOI: 10.2307/1383097
• Publication Date: 2006-07-28T02:30:38Z
• Authors: Eva A. Horne; Mark McDonald; O. J. Reichman
• Keywords: Herbaceous plant

Artificial dens constructed for eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana) were occupied readily by animals, and thus, their caches available repeated sampling over winter. Caches contained significantly fewer kilocalories in spring than winter (X̄ ± SE, = 6,808.6 637.08 kcal, 2,556.8 319.12 kcal). Male female using artificial did not differ weight or the spring. Additionally, change from autumn to spring, weights of individual correlated with caches. Of 17 different types food found dens, seven (dicot leaves, Osage-orange seed, honey locust bark on stored twigs sticks, herbaceous plant material, red cedar grass) five more 12 dens. A few items, such as seeds, cached all woodrats, but variety other items appeared depend availability sources within foraging ranges individuals.