Our Threatened and Endangered Species: Allegheny Woodrats

The Allegheny woodrat has seen a 70% decline since the 1980s. There are multiple known factors, including the disappearance of the American chestnut, habitat fragmentation, genetic diversity issues, and raccoon roundworm. The Pennsylvania Game Commission, together with her partners, are coming together to salvage the remaining population's genetic diversity, create and connect habitats, breed woodrats in captivity, monitor the wild and captive bred populations genetics and prescribe where captive bred woodrats should be placed on the landscape to rescue the long-term health of the species.