COTTON RAT

(Sigmodon), any of about 13 species of rodents, family Cricetidae (order Rodentia), found from the southern United States to northern South America. Cotton rats are stout-bodied, with small ears and with coarse coats of intermingled dark and buffy hairs. The most common species is the hispid cotton rat (S. hispidus), a large species 25 to 36 centimetres (10 to 14 inches) long including the thin, scaly, sparsely haired tail. Cotton rats are numerous and exceedingly prolific, producing several litters of 2 to 10 young each year. Their habitat varies, but a preference is shown for weedy fence rows, tall grass, and ditch banks. The nest, in a shallow runway or tunnel, is built of any available fibrous material. Aggressive animals, cotton rats eat almost anything edible. They often become serious agricultural pests and sometimes destroy the eggs and young of game birds. They are kept in laboratories for use in research.