Oklahoma mammals

Southern Plains Woodrat in Oklahoma

Neotoma micropus

Native to Oklahoma SNR Unranked in Oklahoma

Not listed as nonindigenous in Oklahoma by USGS NAS; native to its Oklahoma range.

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: Bongopete · CC BY-SA 4.0Southern Plains Wood ratPhoto: Clifton Ladd, C.W.B. · CC BY 4.0Southern Plains woodrat sitting on dry groundPhoto: Jo Roberts · CC BY 4.0Southern Plains Woodrat (Neotoma micropus)Photo: Jo Roberts · CC BY 4.0Southern Plains Woodrat (Neotoma micropus)Photo: Jo Roberts · CC BY 4.0Southern Plains Woodrat (Neotoma micropus)

Southern Plains Woodrat in Oklahoma, by the numbers

Common in Oklahoma 31st most recorded of 120 mammals logged in Oklahoma

512 occurrence records

7 with iNaturalist photos

Jan 6, 2026 Last seen in Oklahoma

Records from 2000–2026.

512 total records count every Oklahoma occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 509 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Southern Plains Woodrat in Oklahoma

Most sightings fall in September.

509 Oklahoma occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Oklahoma records (table)

Month	Records
January	44
February	5
March	5
April	34
May	79
June	52
July	53
August	21
September	147
October	55
November	7
December	7

Monthly southern plains woodrat occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Oklahoma, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Oklahoma, with recorded sightings peaking in September.

Occurrence map

Where Southern Plains Woodrat has been recorded in Oklahoma

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 Oklahoma records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
CLO Lands	21
Boiling State Parkrings State Park	5
Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area	4
Little Sahara State Park	3
Black Mesa State Park & Nature Preserve	2
Selman Cave System	1

Protected places with the most southern plains woodrat sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Oklahoma

County	Records
Major County	118
Harmon County	88
Beaver County	84
Cimarron County	65
Jackson County	47
Woodward County	26
Greer County	26
Woods County	20
Kiowa County	12
Ellis County	6
Texas County	5
Beckham County	5
6 other counties	10

The complete county distribution, spread across 18 Oklahoma counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Southern plains woodrats use rocky outcrops, canyon walls, and brushy arid ground in Oklahoma’s west and Panhandle. Around Black Mesa and Optima, look for sheltered stick piles and collected plant fragments in crevices; leave these middens intact because they are active homes and valuable biological records.

Records are available throughout the year but peak in September–October. The animals are nocturnal and secretive, making sign a much more realistic find than a direct daytime sighting.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Full species profile Southern Plains Woodrat Neotoma micropus Size 21.3 cm8.4 in Weight 203 g7.2 oz Lifespan Up to 9.5 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Oklahoma in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"