Desert kangaroo rat

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Desert kangaroo rat
Dipodomys-deserti.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Heteromyidae
Genus: Dipodomys
Species:
D. deserti
Binomial name
Dipodomys deserti
Stephens, 1887

The desert kangaroo rat (Dipodomys deserti) is a rodent species in the family Heteromyidae that is found in desert areas of southwestern North America. [2] It is one of the large kangaroo rats, with a total length greater than 12 inches (300 mm) and a mass greater than 3.2 ounces (91 g). [3] [ clarification needed ]

Range

The desert kangaroo rat is found in arid parts of southwestern North America, including Death Valley, the Great Basin, the Mojave Desert, and portions of the Sonoran Desert. [4] Though kangaroo rats persist in a variety of soils, [5] desert kangaroo rats live exclusively in areas with loose sand, often dune terrain. [6] The places on this list constitute some of the most extreme deserts in the United States including Death Valley, which has the record for the hottest place on the continent. [7]

Habitat

Desert kangaroo rats are denizens of desert areas with sandy soil; vegetation is typically sparse and consists of creosote bush, a variety of grasses, and cacti. [8] Desert kangaroo rats live in burrow systems under slight mounds of soil 6-9m across; [8] they sleep in a den, which is sealed off at extreme temperatures, during the day. [4] Groups of 6-12 widely spaced burrows may constitute a colony of this species, which is otherwise solitary.

Ecology

Foraging ecology

Seeds are the dominant component of the diet of desert kangaroo rats. The size of the seeds consumed by the species tends to be larger than seeds consumed by other, sympatric heteromyids. [8] When presented with patches with variation in seed sizes and densities—which in combination vary total profitability—desert kangaroo rats tend to choose large-seed patches but reduce profitability of a set of patches to similar levels. [9] Seed selection also appears correlated with nutritional content, with this species choosing seeds with high carbohydrate content. [10] Although some kangaroo rats will consume green vegetation, desert kangaroo rats do not. [8] Feeding occurs in fits and starts of movement and at relatively discrete locations, with an average distance of ~7 m (22 ft.) between stops. [8]

Water ecology

Most kangaroo rat species live in arid environments and are known for their ability to make use of metabolic water rather than requiring it from the environment. While the desert kangaroo rats do consume available water, [8] the vast majority of their water requirements are met from byproducts of metabolic processes. Adaptation to very low quantities of water (free or metabolic) is highlighted by the very long water turnover [11] times for the species, on the order of 2–3 weeks. [12]

Special physiology

Kidneys

Kangaroo rats achieve the ability to be sustained on limited water by having incredibly derived kidneys. To remove waste without losing water, many species have developed mechanisms to concentrate their urine. This happens in the kidneys. [13] There seems to be an inverse correlation of body mass to ability to concentrate urine. [14] So naturally small rodents can persist in much more water deficient environments than larger animals. The desert kangaroo rat has a kidney structure very similar to those of other rodents, but it has much longer papilla (mammalian species). Papilla lengths, along with number of nephrons, play a crucial role in urine concentration. [13]

Skull anatomy

Desert kangaroo rats have the longest nasal cavity of all the kangaroo rats, which allows for better water conservation. Hot, dry air can remove water from the body. The long nasal cavities reduce this water loss by cooling the air leaving the lungs. Cooling air releases moisture for reabsorption to the body so its loss can be avoided in a situation where water is a precious resource. [5]

Group interaction

Foot drumming

Kangaroo rats drum their feet. Many different species of kangaroo rats' drumming pattern have been previously studied. They are thought to have evolved independently. Some use drumming to communicate location and other kangaroo rats respond in kind. This is not the case with the desert kangaroo rat. [15] The desert kangaroo rat, living in a sand dune environment, has the highest level of food scarcity. When the desert kangaroo rat hears a drum from another rat, it comes out of its burrow and chases it away or engages in a rollover fight. [16]

Predation

Desert kangaroo rats function under a high risk of predation for a variety of reasons. The first of which is they forage alone. They do not have a community of other rats to watch out for snakes or other predators. Secondly, in the desert, food is scarce and spread out, so desert rodents have to spend a substantial amount of time out of their holes searching for food. Because of these reasons, the desert kangaroo rat has had to evolve a few adaptations to protect itself. [16]

Snakes

Though the more commonly studied Merriam's kangaroo rat protects itself by predator avoidance, the desert kangaroo rat behaves more aggressively. [16] In the case of a snake, the desert kangaroo rat drums its feet and moves within striking distance of the snake and kicks sand in the air. Though this is an incredibly dangerous activity for a small rodent, it does these things to let the snake know it is alert to its presence. [17] Snakes are less likely to attack a rodent if the prey knows the snake is there. Desert kangaroo rats exclusively kick sand due to their natural environment being characterized by loose sand dunes. [16] The desert kangaroo rat also uses its hind limbs to kick away attacking snakes in order to avoid being injected with venom. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kangaroo rat</span> Genus of mammals belonging to the kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, and pocket mice family of rodents

Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus Dipodomys, are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this mode of locomotion independently, like several other clades of rodents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

The giant kangaroo rat is an endangered species of heteromyid rodent endemic to California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heteromyidae</span> Family of rodents

Heteromyidae is a family of rodents consisting of kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, pocket mice and spiny pocket mice. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, though species within the genus Heteromys are also found in forests and their range extends as far south as northern South America. They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined cheek pouches to their burrows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kangaroo mouse</span> Genus of mammals belonging to the kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, and pocket mice family of rodents

A kangaroo mouse is either one of the two species of jumping mouse native to the deserts of the southwestern United States, predominantly found in the state of Nevada. The name "kangaroo mouse" refers to the species' extraordinary jumping ability, as well as its habit of bipedal locomotion. The two species are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipodomyinae</span> Subfamily of rodents

Dipodomyinae is a subfamily of heteromyid rodents, the kangaroo rats and mice. Dipodomyines, as implied by both their common and scientific names, are bipedal; they also jump exceptionally well. Kangaroo rats and mice are native to desert and semidesert ecosystems of western North America from southern Canada to central Mexico. They are generally herbivorous foragers, and dig and live in burrows.

The Texas kangaroo rat is a rodent of the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Texas and Oklahoma in the United States, where it often lives in association with brush species, like mesquite and lotebush, growing in areas with firm clay-loam soils. The species is listed as threatened by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the IUCN lists the species as vulnerable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perognathinae</span> Subfamily of rodents

Perognathinae is a subfamily of rodents consisting of two genera of pocket mice. Most species live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, They feed mostly on seeds and other plant parts, which they carry in their fur-lined cheek pouches to their burrows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ord's kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

Ord's kangaroo rat is a kangaroo rat native to western North America, specifically the Great Plains and the Great Basin, with its range extending from extreme southern Canada to central Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round-tailed ground squirrel</span> Species of rodent

The round-tailed ground squirrel, known as "Ardillón cola redonda" in Spanish, live in the desert of the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. They are called "ground squirrels" because they burrow in loose soil, often under mesquite trees and creosote bushes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agile kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

The agile kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to southern California in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heermann's kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

Heermann's kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. Their long smooth pelage resembles typical kangaroo rats, with their dorsal side showing a mixed range of olive, black and orange colors. There are 9 distinguished sub-species of Dipodomys heermanni: D.h. arenae, D.h. berkeleyensis, D.h. dixoni, D.h. goldmani, D.h. heermanni, D.h. jolonensis, D.h.morroensis, D.h. swarthi, and D.h. tularensis. The dental formula of Dipodomys heermanni is 1.0.1.31.0.1.3 × 2 = 20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merriam's kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

Merriam's kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. The species name commemorates Clinton Hart Merriam. It is found in the Upper and Lower Sonoran life zones of the southwestern United States, Baja California, and northern Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

The chisel-toothed kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fresno kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

The Fresno kangaroo rat or San Joaquin kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to areas within and near the San Joaquin Valley of California in the United States. Habitat destruction due to agricultural development and urbanization has put this species at risk, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as "vulnerable".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panamint kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

The Panamint kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to the Mojave Desert in eastern California and western Nevada, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillips's kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

Phillips's kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banner-tailed kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

The banner-tailed kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in arid environments in the southwestern United States and Mexico where it lives in a burrow by day and forages for seeds and plant matter by night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephens's kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

Stephens's kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to the Southern California region of the United States, primarily in western Riverside County. The species is named after American zoologist Frank Stephens (1849–1937).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narrow-faced kangaroo rat</span> Species of rodent

The narrow-faced kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tipton kangaroo rat</span> Subspecies of rodent

The Tipton kangaroo rat, is a subspecies of the San Joaquin kangaroo rat, a rodent in the family Heteromyidae.

References

  1. ↑ Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T.; Castro-Arellano, I.; Lacher, T. (2016). "Dipodomys deserti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T6686A22228301. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T6686A22228301.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Patton, J.L. (2005). "Family Heteromyidae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 845. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. ↑ North American Mammals: Dipodomys deserti
  4. 1 2 Rieth, W. and Boykin, K.G. (2004-2007) Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Wildlife Habitat Relationship - Desert Kangaroo Rat. New Mexico Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, New Mexico State University. Accessed 2009-06-27. Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  5. 1 2 Nader, Iyan A. Kangaroo Rats: Interspecific Varriation. University of Illinois Press. pp. 65–80.
  6. ↑ Best, Hildreth, Jones, Troy, Nancy, Clyde (26 October 1989). "Dipodomys deserti". Mammalian Species (339): 1–8. doi: 10.2307/3504260 . JSTOR   3504260.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "Death Valley National Park". National Geographic. 2015-11-03. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Best, T. L.; et al. (1989). "Dipodomys deserti" (PDF). Mammalian Species (339): 1–8. doi:10.2307/3504260. JSTOR   3504260. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  9. ↑ Podolsky, Robert H.; Price, Mary V. (1990). "Patch use by Dipodomys deserti (Rodentia: Heteromyidae): profitability, preference, and depletion dynamics". Oecologia. 83 (1): 83–90. Bibcode:1990Oecol..83...83P. doi:10.1007/BF00324638. PMID   28313247. S2CID   2615104.
  10. ↑ Price, M. V. (1983). "Laboratory studies of seed size and seed species selection by heteromyid rodents". Oecologia. 60 (2): 259–263. Bibcode:1983Oecol..60..259P. doi:10.1007/BF00379529. PMID   28310494. S2CID   36621850.
  11. ↑ "Fluid Physiology: 3.1 Water Turnover in the Body".
  12. ↑ Richmond, C. R., T. T. Trujillo, and D. W. Martin. (1960) Volume and Turnover of Body Water in Dipodomys deserti with Tritiated Water. Experimental Biology and Medicine 104(1):9-11
  13. 1 2 Bankir, L (1 December 1985). "Urinary concentrating ability: insights from comparative anatomy". American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 249 (6): R643-66. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.1985.249.6.R643. PMID   3934988 . Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  14. ↑ Lawler, Geluso, Rita, Kenneth (May 1986). "Renal Structure and Body Size in Heteromyid Rodents". Journal of Mammalogy. 67 (2): 367–372. doi:10.2307/1380890. JSTOR   1380890.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Randal, Jan (25 September 1996). "Species-specific footdrumming in kangaroo rats: Dipodomys ingens, D. deserti, D. spectabilis". Animal Behaviour. 54 (5): 1167–1175. doi:10.1006/anbe.1997.0560. PMID   9398370. S2CID   39195213.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Randal, Jan (23 February 2000). "Assessments and defense of solitary kangaroo rats under risk of predation by snakes". Animal Behaviour. 61 (3): 579–587. doi:10.1006/anbe.2000.1643. S2CID   53168997.
  17. ↑ Whitford, Malachi D; Freymiller, Grace F; Clark, Rulon W (2016-05-08). "Avoiding the serpent's tooth: predator-prey interactions between free-ranging sidewinder rattlesnakes and desert kangaroo rats". Animal Behaviour. 130 (2017): 73–78. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.06.004 . S2CID   54320514.
  18. ↑ Freymiller, Grace A; Whitford, Malachi D; Higham, Timothy E; Clark, Rulon W (2019-03-27). "Escape dynamics of free-ranging desert kangaroo rats (Rodentia: Heteromyidae) evading rattlesnake strikes". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 127 (1): 164–172. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blz027. ISSN   0024-4066.
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