Panamint 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. All kangaroo rats closely resemble each other in general appearance, but vary considerably in body size. This is the Panamint kangaroo rat (D. panamintinus), a medium-sized (60-80 g) species found mainly in creosote bush and Joshua tree scrublands in eastern California and western Nevada. It also occurs in higher, cooler sagebrush areas, such as in Long Valley in the eastern Sierra Nevada where I took these pictures (the animals were 'bribed' into holding still with birdseed, which most kangaroo rats cannot resist). Panamints are usually extremely calm if handled gently; I've often 'poured' them out of a live-trap onto my hand, and they invariably pause to collect any seeds from my palm before quietly hopping off.
These links lead to images of Stephen's kangaroo rat, Ord's kangaroo rat, and the related Great Basin pocket mouse.
Images copyright by Mark A. Chappell
