Noun: pack rat pak rat
- Any of several bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Neotoma of western North America; hoards food and other objects
"The pack rat had filled its nest with shiny objects and bits of cactus";
- trade rat [N. Amer], bushytail woodrat, Neotoma cinerea
- Someone who collects things that have been discarded by others
"He was such a pack rat, his garage was overflowing with random objects";
- magpie, scavenger
Derived forms: pack rats
Type of: aggregator, collector, hoarder, wood rat, woodrat
Part of: genus Neotoma, Neotoma
Encyclopedia: Pack rat