| Nelson's kangaroo rat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Heteromyidae |
| Genus: | Dipodomys |
| Species: | D. nelsoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Dipodomys nelsoni Merriam, 1907 | |
Nelson's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nelsoni) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae which is endemic to the central plateau of Mexico. [2]
Nelson's kangaroo rat reaches a length of about 315 mm (12.4 in) including a tail of about 188 mm (7.4 in) and is one of the largest species in the genus. The upper parts are pale brown with some dark-tipped hairs on the head, along the spine and on the rump, and the underparts are white. The tail has a white stripe on either side along two thirds of its length, and the terminal third is bushy, black with a white tip. Nelson's kangaroo rat is similar in appearance to the banner-tailed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) but is smaller in size, weighing on average 87 grams (3.1 oz) to the banner-tail's 125 grams (4.4 oz). [3]
Nelson's kangaroo rat is endemic to the Mexican Altiplano, a large upland area between the mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental. Its typical habitat is rolling grassland or semiarid areas with scattered trees and shrubs such as Acacia , Prosopis juliflora , Larrea tridentata , Fouquieria splendens , cactus, Yucca and Agave . [3]
Nelson's kangaroo rat creates a complex burrow system with several entrances which are surrounded by a distinctive large, low-domed mound. Some burrows are alongside roads and the entrances can be found in the sides of banks or ditches. Other burrows are surrounded by a strip of bare ground twenty metres (yards) or so wide. An attempt to dig out a burrow was largely unsuccessful with passages disappearing laterally and down through the subsurface rock layer, and no nests, food or fecal pellets being found in the excavated part of the burrow. [3]
The diet of this species consists of plant foods including seeds. Breeding takes place throughout the year but mostly in the spring and summer. Captures of pregnant females suggest that litters consist of two young. [3]
Nelson's kangaroo rat has a wide range in central Mexico where it is generally uncommon, being present at an estimated density of 9–20 individuals per hectare. The total population is presumed to be large and it faces no particular threats so the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it as being of "least concern". [1]
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.
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 down as far 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.
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.
The California kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. However, populations are declining, having not fully recovered after the drought in California from 2013 to 2015 destroyed their habitat and changed it into desert.
The Gulf Coast kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae found in Mexico and the state of Texas in the United States. Its appearance and ecology are very similar to those of its putative sister species, Ord's kangaroo rat.
The San Quintin kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it is known only from western Baja California. Its natural habitat includes arid lowlands with sparse vegetation.
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.
The San José Island kangaroo rat is a subspecies of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it is found only on San José Island off the east coast of Baja California Sur. is restricted to an area of only 30 km2 in the southwestern coast of San José Island, Lower California, with the population having been drastically reduced in size and being close to extinction No other species of Dipodomys occur in sympatry with D. insularis.
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.
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".
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.
Phillips's kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.
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.
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).
The silky pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in northern and central Mexico and the southwest region of the United States. It is a species of least concern, according to the IUCN, with no known major threats. The silky pocket mouse eats seeds, succulent parts of plants and nuts, and carries food in its cheek pouches. It lives in low valley bottoms with soft soils, among weeds and shrubs, where it burrows in the sand to bury seed caches. The species is more tolerant of harsh habitat conditions than other pocket mice.
The Tipton kangaroo rat, is a subspecies of the San Joaquin kangaroo rat, a rodent in the family Heteromyidae.
The Dulzura kangaroo rat, or San Diego kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California, Mexico, and in the Colorado Desert and elsewhere in California in the United States. It is a common species and the IUCN has assessed its status as being of "least concern".
