OVERVIEW

Latin Name: Sigmodon hispidus

APPEARANCE

The head and body of cotton rat ranges from 13.3 to 21.3 cm. The tail is hairless and not long as the head and the body (7.6 – 16.5 cm). Their bodies are cover by the coarse hair. Their ears are hidden by the hair and they are usually grey in their backs with some black hair which hide in there. The underside has light color.

BEHAVIOR, DIET AND HABIT

Cotton rats are very popular in many countries. They are the pests in agriculture industry. They usually hide in grassy areas and plants are the main food resources for them. In some areas, they cause many serious damage to crops.  They nest on the ground or in shallow burrows. During their traveling, they make many trails in the grass.

It is very easy for them to travel from the fields to grass and garden, especially in sub-urbans and rural areas. Although they don’t usually pierce structure, they can enter to the buildings, especially whenever they smell the available foods. They can infest garages, barns, storage sheds and similar structures easily. Beside that, lake house and hunting cabins which is rarely used is one of the points they can enter to the premises.

REPRODUCTION

They are very prolific. The female can produce up to 9 litters per year with 6 young per litter. The young develop dramatically in a month. The reproductive rate of cotton rats happens very quickly if they have the plenty of foods. In contrast, when the food is scare, these rats reproduce at lower speed.

SIGNS OF A COTTON RAT INFESTATION

We can identify the activities of cotton rats by shallow burrows with many entrances.

MORE INFORMATION

Sigmodon hispidus plays an important role in medical because they are the host of Hanta Virus. This virus results in hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). This virus remains in the air when rat droppings or carcasses decompose. Those who inhale the airborne virus can be infected.  It is found that the cotton rats can cause plague and murine typhus.

The first step in controlling rodents is preventing their infestations. In order to control cotton rats, we have to cut grass near your house. Moreover, we also have to repair the holes that the rats could enter. Because they can carry HPS, we are strongly careful when handling droppings or dead rodents. If there are any   rats invading your home, contact with Nano Vina in order to provide an useful knowledges as well as a safe and effective service.