after sunset, and again shortly before dawn. During the summer, males have home ranges of about , and females of about . However, these contract dramatically in the late fall and winter, when little fresh food is available, and they rely instead on their caches to survive. At such times, home ranges may shrink to as little as . Individuals are generally aggressive towards each other, especially when competing for nest sites, and, while home ranges may overlap, each actively defends its own den. They are generally quiet animals, but have been reported to make "squeaking" and "whimpering" noises in captivity. They very rarely travel more than a few hundred feet from their home ranges. They also collect and store various non-food items such as bottle caps, snail shells, coins, gun cartridges, feathers, and bones. This trait is responsible for the nickname "trade rat" or "pack rat". These rats form small colonies with nesting areas, a network of underground runways and many conspicuous latrines. Latrines are large fecal piles the rats deposit on protected flat rocks. In some cases, researchers have found dried leaves placed around the nesting area which appear to act as alarms to warn the rats of approaching danger. In addition to the latrines, Allegheny woodrats of both sexes also scent mark various objects around their home ranges, using a scent gland on their undersides. The gland becomes particularly prominent around the breeding season, and is said to produce a strong odor. Reproduction Unlike most other rodents, Allegheny woodrats are not prolific breeders. The breeding season is variable across their range, but is broadly between March and October, and they average two or three litters per year. Gestation lasts 30 to 36 days, and results in the birth of a litter of one to four young (typically two) The young are born hairless and blind, weighing . They become fully furred at two weeks, and open their eyes at three weeks. They live with their mothers in nests composed of grass, bark, and similar materials, often located in relatively inaccessible crevices or ledges. Allegheny woodrats become sexually mature at three to four months of age, and, in the wild, have been known to live up to 58 months. Distribution and status Allegheny woodrats are mainly distributed along the Appalachian Mountains. They have historically been found as far north as Connecticut (where they are now extirpated), southeastern New