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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).
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 (e.g., dipodids and hopping mice).
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.
A kangaroo rat narrowly escaping an attack by a Mohave rattlesnake. Kangaroo rats are a common prey items for many other desert animals. Typical predators of the Merriam's kangaroo rat include barn owls, great horned owls, coyotes, foxes, badgers, bobcats, and several snake species including sidewinders and glossy snakes.
Dipodomyinae is the sister group of a Perognathinae-Heteromyinae clade; the two are estimated to have split about 22-24 million years ago.The most recent common ancestor of extant dipodomyines is thought to have lived 15-16 Ma ago, when the two genera split.
Desert ecology is the study of interactions between both biotic and abiotic components of desert environments. A desert ecosystem is defined by interactions between organisms , the climate in which they live, and any other non-living influences on the habitat .
The Santa Cruz kangaroo rat, more closely related to chipmunks and gophers than kangaroos or rats, had not been spotted in the area since the 1940s. The Santa Cruz kangaroo rat, more closely ...
Phillips's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys phillipsii) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. [3] It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is hot deserts. The species is named after John Phillips, an official of a Mexican mining company who sent zoological specimens, including the type specimen of this kangaroo rat, to the British Museum.