The animal on the cover of Learning Python, Second Edition is a wood rat (Neotoma, family Muridae). The wood rat lives in a wide range of living conditions (mostly rocky, scrub, and desert areas) over much of North and Central America, generally at some distance from humans, though they occasionally damage some crops. They are good climbers, nesting in trees or bushes up to six meters off the ground; some species burrow underground or in rock crevices or inhabit other species' bandoned holes.
These grayish-beige, medium-sized rodents are the original pack rats: they carry anythingand everything into their homes, whether or not it's needed, and are espe-cially attracted to shiny objects such as tin cans, glass, and silverware.