Facts About Dulzura Kangaroo Rats

7/29/2019 Facts About Dulzura Kangaroo Rats

1/10(cc) Keith Jones www.bajajonesadventures.com @Bajajonestravel

Baja Jones Adventures Travel

Kangaroo rats have long tails and big hind feet with four toes. They

have large heads with big eyes and small ears. They are a sandy brown

color with a white underbelly.

By: Keith Jones
http://bajajonesadventures.com/http://bajajonesadventures.com/http://bajajonesadventures.com/


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(cc) Keith Jones www.bajajonesadventures.com @Bajajonestravel

Facts About Dulzura Kangaroo Rats
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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Dipodomys

Species: D. simulans

The Dulzura kangaroo rat, or San Diego kangaroo rat,

Dipodomys simulans, is also found in Baja California

Dipodomys agilis The agile Kangaroo rat

Dipodomys merriami Merriams Kangaroo Rat also found in Baja

Dipodomys insularis San Jose Island Kangaroo Rat critically

endangered species

Dipodomys gravipes San Quintin Kangaroo Rat endangered

Identifying Features

Kangaroo rats have long tails and big hind feet with four toes. They

have large heads with big eyes and small ears. They are a sandy brown

color with a white underbelly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animaliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chordatahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammaliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteromyidaehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipodomyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipodomyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteromyidaehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammaliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chordatahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animalia


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Adaptations

The kangaroo rat is almost perfectly adapted to life in the desert.

They can survive without ever drinking any water, getting needed

moisture from their seed diet. They have excellent hearing and can

even detect the silent sound of an owl approaching. Their large back

legs enable them to jump up to 9 feet (2.75m) in one jump in order to

escape predators.

Habitat

Kangaroo rats inhabit a variety of desert niches. These can include

open desert scrub, open grasslands, washes, sandy soils or creosote

flats.
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Kangaroo rats live in complex burrow systems. The burrows have

separate chambers for specific proposes like sleeping, living and food

storage.[2] 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.[4] 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.[2] When the outside temperature is too hot, a kangaroo

rat stays in its cool, humid burrow and leaves it only at night.[5] 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.[5] 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.

Range

Kangaroo rats are found in the drier regions of the western and

southwestern U.S.

Wild Status

The kangaroo rat is not endangered. Its status in the wild is good

right now.

Diet

Kangaroo rats eat seeds from a variety of desert grasses as well as

mesquite beans. On occasion, some kangaroo rats will eat green

vegetation and some insects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Howard1994-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Reynolds1958-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Howard1994-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Lidicker1960-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Lidicker1960-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Lidicker1960-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Lidicker1960-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Howard1994-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Reynolds1958-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Howard1994-1


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Food and foraging

Kangaroo rats are primarily seed eaters.[6] They will, however,

sometimes eat vegetation at some times of the year and some insects,

too.[2] 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.[4] This caching

behavior has an impact on the range-land and croplands where the

animals live.[2] Kangaroo rats must harvest as much seeds as possible

in as little time as possible.[6] They need to decrease the time away

from their burrows as they are cool and dry. In addition, being away

from their burrows also makes them vulnerable to predators.[6]

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.[3] 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.[1] Merriam's kangaroo rats scatterhoard

small clumps of seeds in many small holes.[7] This is done close to

the burrow and travel costs are minimized and harvest rates are

maximized.[7] Banner-tailed kangaroo rats larderhoard on large

mounds.[7] This could give them extra time and energy and decrease the

risk of predation. They also spend less time on the surface digging

small caches.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Morgan1992-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Howard1994-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Reynolds1958-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Howard1994-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Morgan1992-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Morgan1992-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Schroder1979-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Nader1978-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Jenkins1995-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Jenkins1995-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Jenkins1995-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Jenkins1995-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Jenkins1995-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Jenkins1995-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Nader1978-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Schroder1979-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Morgan1992-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Morgan1992-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Howard1994-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Reynolds1958-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Howard1994-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Morgan1992-5


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Predators

Unfortunately for the kangaroo rat, it has many predators. There are

many creatures out there who would like to make a tasty meal out of

this small creature. Owls, snakes, bobcats, foxes, badgers, coyotes,

ringtail, and your cat or dog are just a few.

Home

Kangaroo rats generally live in underground burrows which they have

excavated themselves. Often times the burrow is at the base of a shrub

or bush. It spends most of its day underground sleeping, and comes out

to feed at night when it is cooler.

Life Span

The life span of a wild kangaroo rat is not very long, only 2-5 years.

Mating and reproduction

Kangaroo rats have a promiscuous mating system. Their reproductive

output is highest in summer following high rainfalls. During droughts

and food shortages, only a few females will breed. It appears that

kangaroo rats can assess their local conditions and adjust their

reproductive efforts accordingly. Merriam's kangaroo rats breed

between February and May and produce two or three litters

each. 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 period of time, perhaps to ensure greater chances of

producing offspring. Mating in banner-tailed kangaroo rats involve

more chasing and foot drumming in the male before the females allows
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promiscuoushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promiscuous


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him to mate. Banner-tailed kangaroo rats mate on mounds and the more

successful males chase away rival males. The gestation period of

kangaroo rats last 22-27 days.

The young are born in a fur-lined nest in the burrows. They are born

blind and hairless. For the first week, young Merriam kangaroo rats

crawl, and develop their hind legs in their second or third week.[4]

At this time, the young become independent. Banner-tailed kangaroo rat

are weaned between 22-25 days. Offspring remain in the mound for 1-6

more months in the maternal caches.

Size

Depending on the subspecies, kangaroo rats can weigh up to 4.5 ounces

(128 g). Their body length can be 3.5 to 5.5 inches (8 -14 cm) and

their tail can be 5.5 to 6.5 inches long (14-16 cm).
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thQGIjJikUk/US6VHiiL-2I/AAAAAAAAAMI/y616KjDc6lE/s1600/kangaroo_rat_3.pnghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thQGIjJikUk/US6VHiiL-2I/AAAAAAAAAMI/y616KjDc6lE/s1600/kangaroo_rat_3.pnghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thQGIjJikUk/US6VHiiL-2I/AAAAAAAAAMI/y616KjDc6lE/s1600/kangaroo_rat_3.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Reynolds1958-3http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thQGIjJikUk/US6VHiiL-2I/AAAAAAAAAMI/y616KjDc6lE/s1600/kangaroo_rat_3.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_rat#cite_note-Reynolds1958-3


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Extra Fun-facts

Kangaroo rats have pouches, but not for carrying their babies. Their

pouches are on the outside of their cheeks and are used for carrying

seeds back to their burrows.

Kangaroo Rats don't sweat or pant like other animals to keep cool

because that would cause them to loose water from their bodies.

The San Quintin kangaroo rat is found in flat land with low

vegetation. Kangaroo rats generally prefer well-drained, easily worked

soil to dig their burrows in. They can also recolonize abandoned

agricultural lands. Seeds usually comprise the major portion of the

diet of kangaroo rats. Fruits, leaves, stems, buds and insects can

also be included. Kangaroo rats are nocturnal and live in burrows

which they excavate. Kangaroo rats are usually strongly territorial,

with 1 adult per burrow.The San Quintin kangaroo rat occurs only in a100 km (62 mi) strip of coastal lowlands in northern Baja California,

Mexico, from San Telmo to El Rosario. It was reported to be abundant

in this area in 1972, but by 1980 its former habitat was plowed up

except for an area 9 km (6 mi) north of El Rosario. The San Quintin

kangaroo rat's recent decline has been caused by habitat loss due toagriculture.

Tidbits

*** The San Quintin kangaroo rat is regarded as an effective "keystone

predator". It affects the composition of the plant community, thereby

indirectly affecting ant and bird densities. This rodent species preys

on large-seeded plants that would otherwise competitively reduce the

abundance of small-seeded plants.

*** Kangaroo rats seldom drink water, since they are able to use water

resulting from the chemical breakdown of their food. They conserve

moisture by coming out of their burrows at night when the humidity is

highest. They have kidneys at least 4 times as efficient as those of

humans, and thus need much less water to remove wastes.

*** Kangaroo rats travel by hopping on their hind legs. When

threatened, they can hop 2 m (6.6') or more with one hop.
http://www.animalinfo.org/glossn.htm#nocturnalhttp://www.animalinfo.org/glosst.htm#territorialhttp://www.animalinfo.org/country/mexico.htmhttp://www.animalinfo.org/country/mexico.htmhttp://www.animalinfo.org/glosst.htm#territorialhttp://www.animalinfo.org/glossn.htm#nocturnal


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(cc) Keith Jones www bajajonesadventures com @Bajajonestravel

*** Bathing in dust is apparently necessary for the well-being of

kangaroo rats. When they are not able to do so, captive kangaroo rats

develop sores on their body and their fur becomes matted from oily

secretions on their back.

Image Source:

alpenglowimages

San Jacinto Centennial Resurvey

San Jacinto Centennial Resurvey

About the Author:

Keith Jones is the founder of Baja Jones Adventures, Jones Adventures,

Tigress Tours in Thailand and Butanding Tours in the Philippine

Islands and has led thousands of people to Mexico and other

interesting locations around the world. He specializes in gray whale

tour, blue whale tour, gray and blue whale combo tour, giant panda

bear tour, walk a tiger tour, shark tour, African safari tour, African

gorilla trek, arctic narwhal tour and Magdalena Bay whale watching

tour. He also writes about Baja travel and gray whales. Keith Jones is

the author of Gray Whales My Twenty Years of Discovery.
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