White-toothed Woodrat

Open encyclopedia reference

Neotoma leucodon is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. Although originally named from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, as a species by Clinton Hart Merriam, the white-toothed woodrat was long considered to be a synonym of the white-throated woodrat (Neotoma albigula). Molecular data, however, indicate the populations east of the Rio Grande in New Mexico and Trans-Pecos Texas represent a different species than morphologically similar populations west of the river.

The habitat preferences of the two species appear similar, with woodland to desert habitats preferred. Almost invariably, cacti, especially cholla and prickly pear (Opuntia), are present, and form an integral portion of their diets. In general, the data provided by Macedo and Mares (1988) for what was then thought to be a single species applies to both.

Similar to other woodrats, the white-toothed woodrat gathers sticks and vegetation from its environment to build elaborate dens, which offer protection from predators and from the desert heat.

Wikipedia contributors, White-toothed woodrat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:48:11.484485+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Neotoma (Neotoma) leucodon Merriam, 1894

Name authority

Merriam, 1894

Common name

White-toothed Woodrat

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Cricetidae

Genus

Neotoma

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
9. subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
10. infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
11. orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
12. suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
13. superfamilyMuroidea Illiger, 1811
14. familyCricetidae Fischer, 1817
15. subfamilyNeotominae Merriam, 1894
16. genusNeotoma Say & Ord, 1825
17. subgenusNeotoma Say & Ord, 1825
18. speciesNeotoma (Neotoma) leucodon Merriam, 1894

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Neotoma. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 593 records assigned to Cricetidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=970628 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:46VCR. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.