San Quintin kangaroo rat

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San Quintin kangaroo rat
Dipodomys gravipes 64346443 (cropped).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. gravipes
Binomial name
Dipodomys gravipes
Huey, 1925

The San Quintin kangaroo rat (Dipodomys gravipes) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. [2] It is endemic to Mexico, where it is known only from western Baja California. Its natural habitat includes arid lowlands with sparse vegetation.

Contents

The first description of this species was made in 1925 by Laurence M. Huey (1892–1963), an American zoologist. At that time, two large colonies of this kangaroo rat were known, but since then, the area they occupied has been converted to farmland. Until 2017, no specimens had been found since 1986 and the IUCN listed the species as "critically endangered" and possibly extinct. [1] However, in 2017, the species was rediscovered in the Valle Tranquilo Nature Preserve by researchers from the San Diego Natural History Museum; these findings were detailed in a report published in 2018. [3]

Description

The San Quintin kangaroo rat is a small species of kangaroo rat with a head-and-body length of about 13 cm (5 in) and a weight of 80 to 90 g (2.8 to 3.2 oz). The hairy tail has a large tuft of hairs on the end and is longer than the body. The fur on the head and back is a pale pinkish-buff, with some longer black hairs. The underparts are white and a white spot is above the eye, and white stripes run down either side of the tail. The upper surface of the hind feet is white, while the under surface is black. Like other kangaroo rats, the hind legs are powerful and propel the animal in a series of large bounds. The front legs, however, are small and are used for manipulating food and cleaning the cheek pouches. The tail provides balance while jumping and is used as a prop when stationary. [4]

Distribution and habitat

The San Quintin kangaroo rat has a limited range in the state of Baja California, Mexico. It occupies a 20 km (12 mi) wide strip of coastal land from San Telmo to El Rosario with two separate populations. Individuals in the southern population are on average larger than those in the northern group. [4] The northern population occupies cactus-covered slopes and adjacent areas with short vegetation, while the southern population is found in floodplains and flat places with sparse vegetation among low hills. The flatter parts of its range are increasingly being cultivated for the production of food for human consumption. [1] The species is now only known from the Valle Tranquilo Nature Reserve, just south of San Quintin. [3]

Ecology

The San Quintin kangaroo rat lives in a burrow with several entrances, none of which is usually concealed under shrubs. The burrow can be 50 cm (20 in) deep with a main passage and several side passages, and has about three nesting chambers and ten food storage chambers. The diet of this kangaroo rat is probably seeds and green shoots. [5] This animal is nocturnal, and young have been seen at several different times of year, but mainly in the winter and spring. [1]

Status

When this species was first described by American zoologist Laurence M. Huey in 1925, two large colonies of these kangaroo rats were known. Since then, virtually the whole area which they inhabited has been converted into agricultural land. The colonies have disappeared, and intensive searches in the 1990s failed to detect any specimens. [5] The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed their conservation status as "critically endangered" and notes that the species may be extinct. [1] The rediscovery of the species in 2017 has led to a proposed conservation plan for the area by the local organization Terra Peninsular A.C. and University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States. [3]

Related Research Articles

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

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<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">Dipodomyinae</span> Subfamily of rodents

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

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

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

The desert kangaroo rat is a rodent species in the family Heteromyidae that is found in desert areas of southwestern North America. 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).

<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.

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.

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

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

Nelson's kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae which is endemic to the central plateau of Mexico.

<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">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">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.

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurence M. Huey</span> American zoologist

Laurence Markham Huey (1892–1963) was an American zoologist and the Curator of Birds and Mammals at the San Diego Natural History Museum from 1923 to 1961. His main research field was the study of mammals and birds of California and Baja California. He also did field work on mammals and birds in Utah and Arizona, in particular at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T.; Lacher, T. (2018). "Dipodomys gravipes". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T6676A22227742. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T6676A22227742.en . Retrieved 16 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. 1 2 3 "Museum researchers rediscover animal not seen in 30 years: San Quintin kangaroo rat found in Baja California will be subject of a conservation plan". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  4. 1 2 Endangered Wildlife and Plants of the World . Marshall Cavendish. 2001. pp.  747–750. ISBN   978-0-7614-7200-1.
  5. 1 2 Ceballos, Gerardo (2014). Mammals of Mexico. JHU Press. pp. 198–200. ISBN   978-1-4214-0843-9.
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