Den use behavior of Allegheny woodrats inhabiting rock outcrops in Pennsylvania

Since the decline of the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) was first noticed in the late 1970s, most information concerning the ecology of this species has been acquired from studies focusing on its association with rocky habitats (Newcombe 1930, Poole 1940, Hall 1985, Wright and Butchkoski 2005, Castleberry et al. 2006). This habitat specialization has been implicated in microhabitat selection during foraging (Castleberry et al. 2001), home range movements (Castleberry et al. 2002, Hornsby et al. 2005), and persistence of woodrat populations (Balcom and Yahner 1996, Ford et al. 2006).