Ord's Kangaroo Rat

Dipodomys ordii

Remarks

Dipodomys is active throughout the year and is mainly nocturnal in behavior (Burt, 1980). Their hind legs are long and powerful, making them highly modified for travel by jumping. They use their tail to balance and to prop themselves up when standing. It is because of their saltorial (jumping) habits that they are named and compared to the kangaroo. They build burrows and tunnels under trees and bushes that contain chambers for storing food, and they remain here for extended periods when the weather is unfavorable. They derive all the water they need from the seeds and plant material that they eat (Walker, 1983).

Literature Cited

Burt, W.H. 1980 A Field Guide to the Mammals - North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 148 pp.

Walker, E.P. 1983. Mammals of the World (4th Edition). The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Heather Jasso, March 2000.

A much more extensive account is given in the New Mexico Fish and Game site, BISON.

Last Update: 2 Nov 2000.