KANGAROO RAT

Kangaroo rat (Dipodomys). any of about 25 species of hopping rodents that make up the genus Dipodomys of the family Heteromyidae (order Rodentia). They are found in dry and desert regions of North America. Kangaroo rats have large heads and eyes, short forelimbs, and long hind limbs. Like the related pocket mice, they have fur-lined, external cheek pouches that open alongside the mouth. Kangaroo rats are 10 to 16 cm (4 to 6.5 inches) long without the long tail. They are pale buff to brown above and white below, and they characteristically have a white stripe on each hip. The tail, ending in most species in a furry tuft, acts as a balance as these animals leap about on their hind legs. Kangaroo rats live in burrows, foraging by night for seeds, leaves, and other vegetation. They collect food, carrying it in their cheek pouches and storing it in their burrows. They seldom drink water, obtaining sufficient moisture from their food. Females bear one or more yearly litters of two to five young; gestation is about a month. The Moro Bay kangaroo rat, found only in California, is endangered, and the Texas kangaroo rat, of Texas and Oklahoma, has become rare. The small, desert-dwelling kangaroo mice make up the genus Microdipodops. They are silky-haired, buff to blackish rodents up to 7.5 cm (3 inches) long, excluding the long tail. They are found in the western United States and are similar in habit to the larger kangaroo rats.