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Logo of Neotoma series.Neotoma

Most pack rats (rats in the genus Neotoma) are collectors of objects; our Neotoma is a collector of facts.

The one-to-four-page, black and white publications in the Neotoma series offer information about a variety of animals, plants, minerals, fossils and other natural phenomena. They are free. Consult the list of publications to make your choice.

How to Order

Online

  • the Neotomas are available online as PDFs
  • contact us for instructions on how to access the list and for the password (contact information).

By Mail

  • send us your address and a list of the Neotomas you'd like
  • we will mail the publications to you free of charge.

Contact Us

  • directmail@mus-nature.ca
  • Tel: 613.566.4216 or 1.888.437.6287
  • Fax: 613.566.4763
  • Canadian Museum of Nature
    Attention: Intellectual-Property Officer
    P.O. Box 3443, Station D
    Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4
    Canada

List of Publications

Please note that the following numbers are available online (in PDF) only. The paper version is out of print.
Numbers: 3, 4, 5, 15, 18, 23, 31, 33

  1. Amphibians and Reptiles
  2. Salamanders
  3. Frogs, Toads and Treefrogs (available online only, in PDF)
  4. Turtles (available online only, in PDF)
  5. Snakes and Lizards (available online only, in PDF)
  6. Field Study of Canadian Amphibians and Reptiles
  7. The Proper Care of Your Pet Amphibians and Reptiles
  8. Bison: Origin, Evolution and Man
  9. The Dawn Redwood
  10. The Spice of Life
  11. The Ginkgo Tree
  12. Pollination
  13. Canada's Oldest Fossils
  14. Horsetails
  15. Carnivorous Plants (available online only, in PDF)
  16. Casting
  17. The Woolly Mammoth
  18. Minerals, Metals and Man (available online only, in PDF)
  19. The American Mastodon
  20. The Giant Beaver
  21. Feathers
  22. Life Through the Ages
  23. Growing Crystals (available online only, in PDF)
  24. The Great Auk: Hunted to Extinction
  25. Sharks of Canada
  26. Hummingbirds and their Flowers
  27. The American Lion
  28. Window to the Past: The World of Canadian Dinosaurs
  29. North American Short-Faced Bears
  30. Crustaceans: Insects of the Sea
  31. The Origins and Diversity of Birds in Canada (available online only, in PDF)
  32. Dragons of the Sea and Sky: Marine and Flying Reptiles
  33. Spiders (available online only, in PDF)
  34. Butterflies and Moths
Illustration of a Bushy-tailed Woodrat, Neotoma cinerea, from The Mammals of Canada. ? ?

"Pack rat" is a colloquial name for the bushy-tailed woodrat, Neotoma cinerea. This large rodent is up to 51 cm in total length, and is the only rat native to Canada. The habit of collecting and hoarding is so strong in these rodents that they have earned the name "pack rats". In the autumn, the bushy-tailed woodrat collects foliage and cures it in loose piles near its den. The dried food is then packed into crevices or under large boulders for storage. The den contains the nest, and is a large bulky pile constructed from whatever small objects the bushy-tailed woodrat has accumulated, including sticks, bones, foliage and debris.