Observation of an Interaction between an Allegheny Woodrat (Neotoma magister) and a Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in Pennsylvania

Colton M. Moyer^1,*, Joseph E. Duchamp¹, Tristan M. Smith¹, and Jeffery L. Larkin¹

¹Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA 15705. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 30, Issue 2 (2023): N17–N22

Abstract
Neotoma magister (Allegheny Woodrat) is a threatened species in Pennsylvania and listed as Endangered in 4 of 5 bordering states. Declining food resources, genetic isolation, habitat fragmentation, disease, and increasing predator populations are considered the primary threats to Allegheny Woodrat populations. Herein, we share an observation captured on a wildlife camera of an adult woodrat displaying agonistic behavior toward a small Crotalus horridus (Timber Rattlesnake).

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