Kangaroo rat

Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus

Dipodomys, are native to arid areas of western North America. Kangaroo rats
The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a Temporal range: Late Pliocene –
manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this Recent
mode of locomotion independently, like several other clades of
rodents (e.g. dipodids and hopping mice).

Contents
Description
Locomotion
Ecology Scientific classification
Range and habitat Kingdom: Animalia
Food and foraging
Phylum: Chordata
Lifestyle
Burrow system Class: Mammalia
Social interactions Order: Rodentia
Mating and reproduction Family: Heteromyidae
Taxonomy
Subfamily: Dipodomyinae
See also
Genus: Dipodomys
References
Gray, 1841[1]
External links
Species

Description Dipodomys agilis

Dipodomys californicus
Kangaroo rats are four-toed heteromyid rodents with big hind legs, Dipodomys compactus
small front legs and relatively large heads. Adults typically weigh Dipodomys deserti
Dipodomys elator
between 70 and 170 grams (2.5 and 6.0 oz)[2] The tails of
Dipodomys elephantinus
kangaroo rats are longer than both their bodies and their heads.
Dipodomys gravipes
Another notable feature of kangaroo rats are their fur-lined cheek
Dipodomys heermanni
pouches, which are used for storing food. The coloration of
Dipodomys ingens
kangaroo rats varies from cinnamon buff to dark gray, depending
Dipodomys merriami
on the species.[3] There is also some variation in length with one
Dipodomys microps
of the largest species, the banner-tailed kangaroo rat being six
Dipodomys nelsoni
inches in body length and a tail length of eight inches.[3] Sexual
Dipodomys nitratoides
dimorphism exists in all species, with males being larger than
Dipodomys ordii
females.
Dipodomys panamintinus
Dipodomys phillipsii
Locomotion Dipodomys simulans
Kangaroo rats move bipedally. Kangaroo rats often leap a distance Dipodomys spectabilis
of 6 feet,[4] and reportedly up to 9 feet (2.75 m)[5] at speeds up to Dipodomys stephensi
almost 10 feet/sec, or 10 km/h (6 mph).[6] They can quickly Dipodomys venustus
change direction between jumps.[6] The rapid locomotion of the
banner-tailed kangaroo rat may minimize energy cost and
predation risk.[7] Its use of a "move-freeze" mode may also make it less conspicuous to nocturnal
predators.[7]

Ecology

Range and habitat

Kangaroo rats live in arid and semiarid areas, particularly on sandy or soft soils[3] which are suitable for
burrowing. They can, however, vary in both geographic range and habitat. Their elevation range depends on
the species; they are found from below sea level to at least 7,100 feet (the type locality of D. ordii
priscus).[8] They are sensitive to extreme temperatures and remain in their burrows during rain storms and
other forms of inclement weather.[3] Kangaroo rats are preyed on by coyotes, foxes, badgers, weasels, owls,
and snakes.

For example, Merriam's kangaroo rats live in areas of low rainfall and humidity, and high summer
temperature and evaporation rates.[9] They prefer areas of stony soils, including clays, gravel and rocks,
which are harder than soils preferred by some other species (like banner-tailed kangaroo rats).[3] Because
their habitats are hot and dry, they must conserve water.[10] They do this in part by lowering their metabolic
rate, which reduces loss of water through their skin and respiratory system. Evaporation through the skin is
the major route of loss.[11] Merriam's kangaroo rats obtain enough water from the metabolic oxidation of the
seeds they eat to survive and do not need to drink water at all.[10] To help conserve water they produce very
concentrated urine, via a process apparently associated with expression of aquaporin 1 along a longer than
usual segment of the descending limb of the loop of Henle in the kidney.[12]

In contrast, banner-tailed kangaroo rats have more specific habitat requirements for desert grasslands with
scattered shrubs; this species is also more threatened because of the decline in these grasslands. These are
also dry areas but they tend to have more water available to them than Merriam's kangaroo rats.

Food and foraging

Kangaroo rats are primarily seed eaters.[13] They will, however, eat vegetation occasionally, and at some
times of the year, possibly insects as well.[3] They have been seen storing the seeds of mesquite, creosote
bush, purslane, ocotillo and grama grass in their cheek pouches. Kangaroo rats will store extra seeds in seed
caches.[9] This caching behavior affects the range-land and croplands where the animals live.[3] Kangaroo
rats must harvest as much seed as possible in as little time as possible.[13] To conserve energy and water,
they minimize their time away from their cool, dry burrows. In addition, maximizing time in their burrows
minimizes their exposure to predators.[13]

When on foraging trips, kangaroo rats hoard the seeds that they find. It is important for a kangaroo rat to
encounter more food items than are consumed, at least at one point in the year, as well as defend or
rediscover food caches and remain within the same areas long enough to utilize food resources.[7] Different
species of kangaroo rat may have different seed caching strategies to coexist with each other, as is the case
for the banner-tailed kangaroo rat and Merriam's kangaroo rat which have overlapping ranges.[2] Merriam's
kangaroo rats scatterhoard small caches of seeds in numerous small, shallow holes they dig.[14] This is
initially done close to the food source, maximizing harvest rates and reducing travel costs, but later
redistributed more widely, minimizing theft by other rodents.[14] Banner-tailed kangaroo rats larderhoard a
sizable cache of seeds within the large mounds they occupy. This could decrease their time and energy
expenses; they also spend less time on the surface digging holes, reducing risk of predation. Being larger
and more sedentary, they are better able to defend these larders from depredations by other rodents.[14]

Lifestyle
Kangaroo rats inhabit overlapping home ranges. These home ranges
tend to be small with most activities within 200–300 ft and rarely
600 ft.[3] Home range size can vary within species with Merriam's
kangaroo rats having larger home ranges than banner-tailed
kangaroo rats. Recently weaned kangaroo rats move into new areas
not occupied by adults. Within its home range, a kangaroo rat has a
defended territory consisting of its burrowing system.

Tipton kangaroo rat (D. nitratoides

Burrow system nitratoides) at the California Living
Museum in Bakersfield
Kangaroo rats live in complex burrow systems. The burrows have
separate chambers used for specific purposes like sleeping, living
and food storage.[3] The spacing of the burrows depends on the number of kangaroo rats and the abundance
of food. Kangaroo rats also live in colonies that range from six to several hundred dens.[9] The burrow of a
kangaroo rat is important in providing protection from the harsh desert environment. To maintain a constant
temperature and relative humidity in their burrows, kangaroo rats plug the entrances with soil during the
day.[3] When the outside temperature is too hot, a kangaroo rat stays in its cool, humid burrow and leaves it
only at night.[10] To reduce loss of moisture through respiration when sleeping, a kangaroo rat buries its nose
in its fur to accumulate a small pocket of moist air.[10] The burrows of Merriam's kangaroo rats are simpler
and shallower than those of banner-tailed kangaroo rats. Banner-tailed kangaroo rats also mate in their
burrows, unlike Merriam's kangaroo rats.

Social interactions

Kangaroo rats are generally solitary animals with little social organization. Kangaroo rats communicate
during competitive interactions and courtship.[15] They do cluster together in some feeding situations.
Groups of kangaroo rats that exist are aggregations and colonies.[3] There appears to be a dominance
hierarchy among male kangaroo rats in competition for access to females.[16] Male kangaroo rats are
generally more aggressive than females and are more dominant over them. Females are more tolerant of
each other than males are and have more non-aggressive interactions. This is likely in part because the home
ranges of females overlap less than the home ranges of males.[16] Linear dominance hierarchies appear to
exist among males but it is not known if this is the case for females.[16] Winners of aggressive encounters
appear to be the most active individuals.

Mating and reproduction

Kangaroo rats have a promiscuous mating system. Their reproductive output is highest in summer following
high rainfalls.[17] During droughts and food shortages, only a few females will breed.[3] It appears that
kangaroo rats can assess their local conditions and adjust their reproductive efforts accordingly.[17]
Merriam's kangaroo rats breed between February and May and produce two or three litters per year.[2]
Before mating, the male and female will perform nasal-anal circling until the female stops and allows the
male to mount her. A Merriam's kangaroo rat female will allow multiple males to mount her in a short time,
perhaps to ensure greater chances of producing offspring. Mating in banner-tailed kangaroo rats involves
more chasing and foot drumming in the male before the female allows him to mate.[18] Banner-tailed
kangaroo rats mate on mounds and the more successful males chase away rival males.[18] The gestation
period of kangaroo rats lasts 22–27 days.

The young are born in a fur-lined nest in the burrows. They are born blind and hairless.[2] For the first week,
young Merriam kangaroo rats crawl, developing their hind legs in their second or third week.[9] At this time,
the young become independent. Banner-tailed kangaroo rats are weaned between 22–25 days. Offspring
remain in the mound for 1-6 more months in the maternal caches.[17]

Taxonomy
Family Heteromyidae
Subfamily Dipodomyinae
Dipodomys agilis (Agile kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys californicus (California kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys compactus (Gulf Coast kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys deserti (Desert kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys elator (Texas kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys elephantinus (Big-eared kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys gravipes (San Quintin kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys heermanni (Heermann's kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys ingens (Giant kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys merriami (Merriam's kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys microps (Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys nelsoni (Nelson's kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys nitratoides (Fresno kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys ordii (Ord's kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys panamintinus (Panamint kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys phillipsii (Phillips's kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys simulans (Dulzura kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys spectabilis (Banner-tailed kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys stephensi (Stephens's kangaroo rat)
Dipodomys venustus (Narrow-faced kangaroo rat)

See also
Hopping mouse - a similar murid rodent native to Australia; an example of parallel evolution
Jerboa - a similar dipodid rodent native to northern Africa and Asia
Jumping mouse - a non-desert-dwelling dipodid rodent native to China and North America
Kangaroo mouse - a closely related heteromyid rodent of North America
Kultarr - an unrelated marsupial with a similar body plan and coloration; an example of
convergence
Springhare - a similar pedetid rodent native to southern and eastern Africa
References
1. Gray, J. E. (1841). "A new Genus of Mexican Glirine Mammalia" (https://www.biodiversitylibrar
y.org/page/2315114). The Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7 (46): 521–522.
2. Nader, I.A. 1978. "Kangaroo rats: Intraspecific Variation in Dipodomus spectabilis Merriami and
Dipodomys deserti Stephens" (http://hdl.handle.net/2142/26550). Illinois biological
monographs; 49: 1-116. Chicago, University of Illinois Press.
3. Howard, V.W. Jr. (1994). "Kangaroo Rats" (https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmhandbook/2
2/). In Hygnstrom, S.E.; Timm, R.M.; Larson, G.E. (eds.). Prevention and Control of Wildlife
Damage (https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmhandbook/). digitalcommons.unl.edu.
Cooperative Extension Division, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln; United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service: Animal Damage Control; Great Plains Agricultural Council: Wildlife
Committee. pp. B101–B104. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
4. "Merriam's Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys merriami" (https://www.blm.gov/ca/forms/wildlife/details.p
hp?metode=serial_number&search=2744&detaillabelc=Merriam). U. S. Bureau of Land
Management web site. Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
5. Merlin, P. (2014). "Heteromyidae: Kangaroo Rats & Pocket Mice" (http://www.desertmuseum.or
g/books/nhsd_heteromyidae.php). Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum web site. Arizona-Sonora
Desert Museum. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
6. "Animal Guide: Giant Kangaroo Rat" (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/interactives-extras/anim
al-guides/animal-guide-giant-kangaroo-rat/2196/). Nature on PBS web site. Public
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7. Schroder, G. D. (August 1979). "Foraging Behavior and Home Range Utilization of the
Bannertail Kangaroo Rat". Ecology. 60 (4): 657–665. doi:10.2307/1936601 (https://doi.org/10.2
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10. doi:10.2307/3504290 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F3504290). JSTOR 3504290 (https://www.
jstor.org/stable/3504290).
9. Reynolds, H. G. (February 1958). "The Ecology of the Merriam Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys
merriami Mearns) on the Grazing Lands of Southern Arizona". Ecological Monographs. 28 (2):
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11. Tracy, R.L.; Walsberg, G.E. (2000). "Prevalence of cutaneous evaporation in Merriam's
kangaroo rat and its adaptive variation at the subspecific level" (https://jeb.biologists.org/conte
nt/203/4/773). Journal of Experimental Biology. 203 (4): 773–781. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
12. Urity, V. B.; Issaian, T.; Braun, E. J.; Dantzler, W. H.; Pannabecker, T. L. (2012). "Architecture
of kangaroo rat inner medulla: segmentation of descending thin limb of Henle's loop" (https://w
ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3774486). American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory,
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Animals. Springer, Dortrecht, pp. 103-133.
16. Newmark, J. E.; Jenkins, S. H. (April 2000). "Sex Differences in Agonistic Behavior of
Merriam's Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys merriami)". The American Midland Naturalist. 43 (2):
377–388. doi:10.1674/0003-0031(2000)143[0377:SDIABO]2.0.CO;2 (https://doi.org/10.1674%
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940579). JSTOR 1940579 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1940579).
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doi:10.2307/2425723 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2425723). JSTOR 2425723 (https://www.jsto
r.org/stable/2425723).

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urces/msw3/browse.asp?id=12700003). In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species
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External links
Life History of the Kangaroo Rat at Project Gutenberg--United States Department of
Agriculture Bulletin No. 1091, from September 1922
ARKive.org (https://web.archive.org/web/20100806001919/http://www.arkive.org/giant-kangaro
o-rat/dipodomys-ingens/video-00.html)

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