Steps Along the Way
WPC's Milestones in 2004

Threatened Species Discovered in Elk County

The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) does not receive much respect due to its name; however it is a secretive native species of Pennsylvania wildlife that is also deserving of protection and management. This small mammal has rather mysteriously declined by 35 percent over much of its range from Alabama to New York and Indiana to New Jersey. In Pennsylvania it is listed as a threatened species. WPC scientific studies occasionally discover a new Allegheny woodrat colony and pass this information on to biologists and the Pennsylvania Game Commission for further study.

Such a find recently occurred during the Elk County Natural Heritage Inventory when droppings and a food cache were found under a large sandstone ledge in Quehanna Wild Area. Meanwhile, in order to rally more support for this shy creature, advocates are considering a change in common name to the “rock chinchilla.”

Go to our next 2004 milestone,
Increasing our connections to volunteers...