Merriam's kangaroo rat
Kangaroo rats (genus Dipodomys) are a small group of burrowing North American rodents that are specialized for seed-eating. They are named for their bipedal (hopping) locomotion and have large hind feet, long tails, and short front limbs used mainly for gathering seeds, which are carried in fur-lined external cheek pouches (the one at upper left has very full pouches). All kangaroo rats closely resemble each other in general appearance. This is the desert-dwelling Merriam's kangaroo rat (D. merriami), which lives in dry deserts in the American southwest. It's one of the smallest species, weighing 30-40 g as an adult. This one was at the Boyd Deep Canyon research station, near Palm Desert (Riverside County, California).
These links lead to images of Stephen's kangaroo rat, Panamint kangaroo rat, Ord's kangaroo rat, and the related Great Basin pocket mouse.
Image copyright by Mark A. Chappell
