Hispid cotton rats live in Oklahoma’s dense grass, weedy field margins, and rank growth around wetlands. Their runways are easier to find than the animal itself; at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, and Lake Thunderbird State Park, watch grassy edges near cover and avoid disturbing vegetation.
Records occur throughout the year, with stronger totals in June and August–September. Most encounters are brief, low dashes through grass, especially near dusk.
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