Bonnie DuBowski, age 12, of Orlando, Fla., for her question:
WHY IS IT CALLED A PACK RAT?
A pack rat, also sometimes called a wood rat, is a native of North and Central America. It is curious about everything that goes on around him. He will pick up and hide or carry home nails, buckles or even brightly colored stones. This is why he is called a pack rat.
Sometimes the little animal will drop and leave behind something he is carrying, in order to pack off a more attractive item. For this reason, he is sometimes called a trade rat.
Although he looks like a house rat, the pack rat has much cleaner habits. He will not live in sewers and garbage dumps. Also, his fur is softer and he has a hairy tail instead of one that is naked and scaly.
Pack rats sometimes live in the mountains and build their nests on rock ledges. Others live on the deserts in clumps of cactus and scrubby plants. They make their nests in clumps of cactus sticks and cactus.
A female pack rat will have one or two litters of young each season, with each litter containing from three to six babies.