Did you know that from roof rats in Georgia to beavers, our state is home to an incredible variety of rodents? Georgia rodents are more common than you might think, and some might even be closer to your backyard than you realize! According to the research, there are 40 different species of rodents in Georgia.
Whether you’re intrigued by wildlife or simply looking to prevent a few uninvited guests, understanding the types of rodents in Georgia gives you the upper hand. From learning about Georgia rodent removal to recognizing the damage they can cause, knowing what’s around can make a big difference.
Dive in to discover the different types of rodents calling Georgia home and learn what you might find right outside your door!
1. Muskrat
Scientific Name: Ondatra zibethicus
Identifying Features: Muskrats are medium-sized (16-28 inches), aquatic rodents with long, vertically flattened tails and dense, waterproof fur. They have partially webbed hind feet to aid swimming.
Damage: They can cause significant structural damage to levees, ponds, and water management systems due to their burrowing, which weakens embankments and can lead to erosion and flooding.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Native to North America, muskrats inhabit wetlands, ponds, and slow-moving streams. Known for their burrowing behavior, they build lodges from vegetation and mud. Muskrats play an important ecological role but can impact water management systems due to burrowing.
2. Deer Mouse
Scientific Name: Peromyscus maniculatus
Identifying Features: Recognizable by their large eyes, two-toned coloring (brownish upper body, white underbelly), and long (5-8 inches), bicolored tails. Their fur is typically soft.
Damage: Known for transmitting hantavirus to humans, deer mice also damage stored food in homes and can invade agricultural areas, contaminating grain supplies.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Widespread across North America, deer mice are highly adaptable and can be found in forests, grasslands, and human dwellings. They are also known as vectors for hantavirus, which makes them a concern in certain areas.
3. Steppe Field Mouse
Scientific Name: Apodemus witherbyi
Identifying Features: Smaller than other field mice (2.76–3.15 inches), with a sleek, brownish-gray body and large ears. The tail (2.17–2.56 inches) is about as long as its body, and it has a pointed snout.
Damage: This mouse can become an agricultural pest, feeding on grains and stored seeds, which impacts crop yields and storage facilities.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Found in the steppes of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, this mouse prefers open habitats like grasslands and agricultural fields. It plays a role in seed dispersal but can sometimes be a pest in farming areas.
4. Black Sea Field Mouse
Scientific Name: Apodemus ponticus
Identifying Features: Slightly larger than the steppe field mouse (5.9 to 8.6 inches) with a more robust body and darker fur. Often shows a distinct line of darker fur running down its back.
Damage: This rodent often damages crops and stored food supplies, especially in agricultural areas, making it a nuisance for farmers.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Endemic to the Black Sea region, this mouse favors forested and shrubland habitats. They’re important prey for local predators but can affect local agriculture by feeding on crops.
5. Ural Field Mouse
Scientific Name: Apodemus uralensis
Identifying Features: One of the small rodents in Georgia (70-105 mm), with grayish-brown fur, a narrow face, and a relatively short tail (65-110 mm) compared to other field mice.
Damage: While generally less damaging than other mice, the Ural field mouse can harm young plants and stored grains, posing a minor agricultural threat.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Inhabits Eastern Europe and parts of Central Asia, often in meadows, forests, and agricultural lands. It plays a significant role in ecosystems as both prey and seed disperser, though it can be a minor agricultural pest.
6. Ciscaucasian Hamster
Scientific Name: Mesocricetus raddei
Identifying Features: A medium-sized hamster (11 inches body with 0.59 inches tail) with golden-brown fur on the upper body and lighter underbelly. Its stout body and large cheek pouches are distinguishing features.
Damage: This hamster is known for digging large burrows and hoarding food, which can interfere with crops and damage agricultural fields due to its extensive foraging and burrowing habits.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Found primarily in the Caucasus region, this hamster is a solitary and burrowing animal. Known for storing food in large amounts, it plays a role in soil aeration and seed dispersal.
7. Daghestan Pine Vole
Scientific Name: Microtus daghestanicus
Identifying Features: A small rodent (91-105 mm), with a rounded, stocky body, short tail (33-42 mm), and soft, dense brown fur. Its eyes and ears are small and well-adapted to its underground lifestyle.
Damage: The vole’s feeding on roots and bulbs can damage crops and ornamental plants, sometimes causing issues in gardens and agricultural fields.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Native to the Caucasus Mountains, this vole is primarily subterranean, living in burrow systems. It feeds on roots, bulbs, and sometimes small plants, and contributes to soil health through its burrowing activities.
8. Social Vole
Scientific Name: Microtus socialis
Identifying Features: Social voles are small (up to 122 mm), with gray-brown fur and short tails (up to 31 mm). They have a compact body and small, rounded ears.
Damage: Social voles can cause notable damage to grasses and root crops, particularly in farming areas, due to their colony-based, high-density populations.
Other Interesting Details to Know: As the name suggests, social voles live in colonies and are found across parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. They create intricate tunnel systems and are significant as both prey species and plant consumers.
9. Macedonian Mouse
Scientific Name: Mus macedonicus
Identifying Features: Small (65-98 mm) and slender, with soft, gray-brown fur, large ears, and a long tail (56-82 mm). Resembles the common house mouse but with distinct coloring and proportions.
Damage: This mouse can invade stored food supplies and spread pathogens in human dwellings, causing hygiene concerns and minor property damage.
Other Interesting Details to Know: This mouse species is native to the Balkans and parts of the Middle East. It prefers rocky habitats and can be found near human settlements. It helps control insect populations but can invade stored food areas.
10. Anatolian Blind Mole-Rat
Scientific Name: Nannospalax nehringi
Identifying Features: Unique among rodents, size 49.02 mm, this mole-rat is blind with a cylindrical body, reduced eyes, and strong front claws adapted for digging.
Damage: Its extensive tunneling can damage crop roots and disturb soil structure, which may impact agricultural productivity, especially in root vegetable farming.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Native to Anatolia, Turkey, this mole-rat is completely subterranean, creating extensive tunnel systems to search for roots and tubers. It plays a key ecological role in soil aeration and nutrient mixing.
11. Small Five-Toed Jerboa
Scientific Name: Allactaga elater
Identifying Features: Jerboas have long hind legs, short forelimbs, and a long tufted tail (15 cm body and tail). This species has a distinct five-toed foot structure and large ears.
Damage: While generally not a major pest, jerboas can disturb soil and vegetation in desert farming areas due to their foraging habits and tunneling.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Found in Central Asian deserts and semi-arid regions, these rodents are adapted to a nocturnal lifestyle and can cover long distances in search of food. They are notable for their bipedal locomotion, which resembles kangaroo movement.
12. Major’s Pine Vole
Scientific Name: Terricola majori
Identifying Features: A small vole (90-112 mm) with dense brown fur, small eyes and ears, and a short tail (32-49 mm). It has a compact, stocky body.
Damage: Feeding on roots, this vole can harm young trees and crops, posing a risk to forestry efforts and agriculture, especially in orchards and vineyards.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Major’s pine vole is native to mountainous forest regions in the Mediterranean. It prefers moist soil where it can easily dig burrows and feeds on roots, bulbs, and grasses. Its burrowing helps in soil aeration.
13. Pack Rats
Scientific Name: Neotoma spp
Identifying Features: Pack rats, also known as woodrats, are medium-sized (13-17 inches) with bushy tails (5-7.5 inches) and large ears. They are known for their habit of collecting objects.
Damage: Known for hoarding and chewing on wiring and insulation, pack rats can cause damage in rural and urban structures, and their nests can attract pests and spread disease.
Other Interesting Details to Know: Native to North America, pack rats build large nests or “middens” from collected debris and plant material. Known for hoarding shiny objects, they are important for studying historical climate through fossilized middens but can become pests in rural areas.
How to Prevent Rodent Infestation?
- Close off any gaps, cracks, or holes around doors, windows, and walls to block rodent entry.
- Keep food stored in airtight containers, clean up crumbs, and ensure garbage bins are tightly sealed.
- Trim back trees and shrubs near your home, as overhanging branches can give roof rats and other rodents easy access.
- Remove wood piles, debris, and clutter where rodents might nest and hide.
Taking these preventive steps can help, but if a rodent issue arises, Pest Force is ready to step in with expert prevention and removal services to keep your home safe and rodent-free. Trust our team to handle any infestation quickly and effectively!
When to Seek Professional Help?
If you’re noticing persistent signs of rodent activity, like droppings, gnaw marks, or strange noises in walls and attics, it may be time to call in the experts. Rodents can cause serious structural damage and pose health risks, and DIY solutions often fall short of completely resolving the issue. Pest Force specializes in safe, effective rodent removal, ensuring your home is protected for the long term.
At Pest Force, we bring expertise and advanced techniques to handle infestations quickly and thoroughly. Our trained professionals understand the behavior of common rodents in Georgia, from roof rats to larger pests, ensuring no corner is left unchecked. Don’t let rodents take over your space—reach out to Pest Force for a comprehensive, lasting solution.
Conclusion
Each of these rodents has unique adaptations and ecological roles, from burrowing behaviors that aid soil health to serving as prey for various predators. While some, like the muskrat and pack rat, interact closely with human habitats, others, like the Anatolian blind mole-rat, live hidden lives underground.
Have you noticed signs of rodents nearby or are curious about the wildlife in your area? Reach out to Pest Force—we’re here to help you stay informed, protected, and rodent-free!
