Scientific Name:  Dipodomys merriami

Temporal Activity:  Nocturnal.  They forage in the desert at night collecting seeds and storing them in hiding places on the surface.

Diet:  Seeds, especially mesquite beans and native grass seeds.  They will also eat a few insects and a small amount of green vegetation.  These rats do not need to drink water and are able to metabolize it from the food they eat.

Predators:  Owls and snakes.

Breeding:  Burrows are in the shape of a mound and are found beneath large creosote bushes.

Notes:   The kangaroo rat is a fairly common species that weighs about 2 ounces and has a dark tip at the end of its tail.  They take dust baths in the sand which helps them keep their fur shiny.  To escape predators they can jump up to 9 feet.   Their sense of smell enables them to know when owls and snakes are approaching.  They also help create more porous soil when they excavate it for seeds. 

Photo: To be added.

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