St. Mcmurry et al., OPPORTUNISTIC FORAGING OF EASTERN WOODRATS (NEOTOMA-FLORIDANA) IN MANIPULATED HABITATS, The American midland naturalist, 130(2), 1993, pp. 325-337
We evaluated diets of eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana) on Cross Ti
mbers rangeland subjected to experimental brush manipulation. Treatmen
ts were tebuthiuron and triclopyr herbicides, applied with and without
annual prescribed burning. Untreated reference sites also were evalua
ted. Microhistological techniques were used to estimate relative perce
nt composition of plant species in diets. A total of 23 plant species
were found in diets from summer and winter samples. Eastern woodrats e
xhibited seasonal variation in diet selection, consuming mostly forbs
in summer and browse in winter. Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) and ea
stern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) comprised the greatest percentag
es of diets in summer and winter, respectively. Experimental brush tre
atment also influenced diet composition. We hypothesized that eastern
woodrats would exhibit opportunistic foraging behavior and use food ty
pes in proportion to their availability. Forb and browse diet classes
were used in accordance with availability except For forbs on burned t
ebuthiuron sites. Eastern woodrats generally followed an opportunistic
foraging strategy although occasions of selective foraging were obser
ved, presumably in response to increased palatability and/or nutrition
al quality of available forage.