Woodrat, also called pack rat or trade rat, is a native of North and Central America. It looks much like the house rat but has larger ears, softer fur, and a hairy, instead of a naked, scaly tail. The woodrat also has cleaner habits. It will not live in sewers and garbage dumps. Some western woodrats live in the mountains and build their nests on rock ledges. Others live on the deserts in clumps of cactus and scrubby growth. They make their nests in piles of sticks and cactus. A female has one or two litters (3 to 6 young) a season. 
Woodrats are curious about everything that goes on around them. They pick up and hide or carry home small articles that catch their fancy, such as buckles, nails, silverware, brightly colored stones, and even manure. This collecting is why they got the name pack rats. Sometimes the animal will drop and leave behind something, to “pack off” a more attractive article. This habit accounts for its being called trade rat.
