New Year's Pack Rat Reprieve

Although I could easily get at least one rat in my traps I am not putting them out at night because it is too cold and they would die of exposure. I live trap and then drive them down the road to go live either in the desert or at the house of someone else - the choice is theirs once I release them.

(This is just some random image of a rat looking for a new home)

12-22-08 mugshot

8-21-08 mugshot

I almost forgot to release this guy on my way to work.

8-20-08 mugshots

Pack rat nest between two young saguaros

This is a pack rat nest on my property. It is away from the house by the fork of the two driveways so they can stay there. I just don't want pack rats living on my roof or next to the house or in the fenced in area.

8-19-08 mugshots

I had the time to edit the pictures and I didn't like the iPhone posting as well so I replaced those with the regular mugshots.

Cages still empty but that is a good thing.

While I like the rat pictures with prison signs it requires editing them using Illustrator & Photoshop. The next rat pic will be posted by emailing a picture taken with and from my iPhone directly to a blog post. We'll see what that looks like.

Let the Trapping Begin Again

Now that I've finished the major floor project and the grill area it's time to start trapping pack rats again. I set out two traps last night but did not catch anything.

Pack Rat Reprieve

I have been negligent in setting out the rat traps at night. I have been extremely busy with ripping up old carpet and installing hardwood floors upstairs . I simply didn't want to have to deal with taking the rats down the road to release them and posting the captured rats since my office was dismantled. When my floor is done pictures will be posted on my "Adventures at Lazy C" blog and I will resume the pack rat trapping.

6-21-08 mugshot

I captured this pack rat but Bob dropped Cazie off in the morning and without me knowing it she got the cage and carried it into the dog yard to try and get the rat. The rat got away since I found no evidence that Cazie "crunched"it.

6-17-08 mugshot

I've reached pack rat #10 since I started taking pictures.

6-16-08 mugshot

While transferring to a bucket (easier for the drive by drop off) the rat got out before I put the lid on completely. It ran into the laundry room door so Fringe (the dog) and I went after it. Fringe would grab it in her mouth several times but kept dropping it until I finally got the bucket over it. I guess Fringe is not a very good rat dog. The rat was released having the end of it's tail sheath pulled off (a defensive mechanism for pack rats to escape).

6-10-08 mugshot

I think I have captured the healthy pack rats and now the unhealthy weaklings are moving in to take their place. This one has a lump that looks like it may have taken out its right eye. This may also be a bot fly larvae.

6-9-08 mugshot

This pack rat had an enlarged scabbed over swelling on its neck. It looks like the home for a bot fly larvae but the larvae is not sticking out and the black area looks more like a scab.

6-5-08 mugshot

Pack Rat Facts

Name: Pack Rat (Neotoma albigula - White-throated wood rat)
Size: up to 15" and 8 oz.

Their nests, or middens, consists of piles of branches, plant material, trash, etc. The dens are then fortified with cactus, particularly cholla. They are known for collecting objects to place in their den. They like shiny objects and will be more than happy to take your watch or jewelry to their den. Mine seem to like taking dog droppings to their nest. Pack rats are also quite happy with eating your landscape plants getting their water from succulents and cacti. They must have shelter to survive and will die with exposure to heat, cold or direct sunlight.

The same pack rat midden may be used for centuries and have provided a valuable resource for paleobotanist and paleoentomologists and well as regular paleontologists, after all a man made piece stolen centuries ago could be in the nest.

I will reiterate the first post: They are VERY DESTRUCTIVE to your house and personal property. If your house is surrounded by natural desert they are an unavoidable inconvenience.

5-31-08 mugshot

This had some darker hairs so from the top looked much darker.

5-30-08 mugshot

This one is pretty big and feisty.

5-27-08 mugshot

5-26-08 mugshots

The inaugural mugshots:
These two look like twins with both missing a patch of hair from the top of their noses.

Introduction to the Incarcerated Pack Rats of Lazy C

Living out in a natural desert area of Tucson, I am always battling pack rats. At a friends suggestion I will now start posting images of my captured pack rats. I live trap them and then release far away from my house. Although they are VERY destructive they are too cute for me to kill. I will only use live traps because poisons and snap traps kill other non-target animals and you also don't want a poisoned pack rat to crawl somewhere and die and then start stinking. I am considering killing them especially after having to completely rewire the hot tub and because of all the other damage they do.