Fresno kangaroo rat
(Dipodomys nitratoides exilis)
STATUS
U.S.A. and California Endangered
LIFE HISTORY
Like all kangaroo rats, the Fresno kangaroo rat is adapted for survival in an arid environment. Kangaroo rats move about by bipedal (two-footed) hopping, using their elongated hind limbs, and a long tufted tail for balance. Their forelimbs are shorter with strong claws that facilitate digging burrows. Other characteristics include a larger head compared to typical rodents; large, dorsally placed eyes; and small rounded ears. The fur is a tawny yellow on the head and back, and white on the belly. A white stripe extends across the hips and continues down the sides of the tail, which is blackish on the top and the bottom.
Fresno kangaroo rats collect and carry seeds in fur-lined external cheek pouches. Their diet consists primarily of seeds, but they may also eat some types of green herbaceous vegetation and insects. Most kangaroo rats gather seeds when they are available and cache (store) them for consumption later. Typically, caches are made in small pits on the surface of the soil, scattered over the home range of the individual. The small caches hold only the contents of two cheek pouches.
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