Trumpeter (1990)

ISSN: 0832-6193

The Audubon Pocket Guide to Familiar Mammals Describes The Eastern Woodrat

Jean Pearson
Trumpeter

Or pack rat, who gathers scraps of metal— buckles and spoons, cartridges and coins— to adorn her nest. Her five-fingered hindpaws are shaped like human hands. A true peddler, she'll quickly trade a mislaid wrist watch for an old wedding band. She often leaves a cherished prize behind in exchange for her latest find. "Not due to honesty," the guide proclaims, but because she just can't carry many things. I think about the origin of honesty. It's good to live with warm, simple hands that can't take more than they can hold.