DESCRIPTION: Kangaroo rats, including D. merriami, have a body which is adapted for life in an arid environment. The kangaroo rat has large and luminous eyes which aid in their nocturnal lifestyle. They are tan in color with a white belly. The long, tufted tail is blackish in color and longer than the body of the animal. A white stripe extends from the tip of the tail to the hips. The ears are small and hairless. The large hind feet have hairy soles which, along with the long tail, helps the animal keep balanced when making long hops. The short forelimbs aid in digging burrows (Desert USA 1999, Endangered Species Recovery Program 1999).

 

distribution of Dipodomys merriami  Image courtesy of Csuti 1979

SEVERAL SPECIES:   Banner-Tailed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) Chisel-Toothed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys microps) Desert Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys deserti) Fresno Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys nitratoides exilis) Giant Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ingens) Merriam's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami) Ord's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ordii) Panamint Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys panamintinus) Short-nosed kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys nitratoides  brevinasus) Tipton Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides)  (Desert USA 1999, Endangered Species Recovery Program 1999) All of these above species live in the southwestern United States in arid areas.

LIFESTYLE:

Kangaroo rats are solitary, nocturnal creatures which live in burrows during the day. These animals have very low water requirements as compared to most mammals, and they are primarily granivores. They collect grains in their cheek pouches and store them around their home range. Foraging in covered areas and by minimizing their activity above ground, they are able to avoid predation. Due to extreme environmental conditions, these animals are irregular and opportunistic in their reproductive behavior. The gestation of these animals is 32 days and the average litter size is two pups (Randall 1993, Desert USA 1999, Endangered Species Recovery Program 1999).