Kangaroo Rat Facts

Explore this page to find out more about kangaroo rat ecology! Scientists refer to any species within the genus Dipodomys as a kangaroo rat. Kangaroo rats are a uniquely North American group of rodents. A few million years ago, as much of the western part of North America dried up and became desert-like, kangaroo rats evolved and diversified across the landscape. There are about 20 species spread across desert-like habitats in western North America, from central Mexico to southern Canada. There are good pages on Wikipedia for kangaroo rats. See the page on Dipodomys genus for links to individual species, and the page on Heteromyidae for information on the whole kangaroo rat family.

For the Love of Seeds

Desert Adaptations

Ecological Importance

Jumping and Hearing

Kangaroo Rat Behavior

Kangaroo rat behavior is fascinating, and there’s a relatively large body of scientific literature on it. But we can summarize some of it by imaging a day in the life of a typical kangaroo rat.

Once Upon A Time,

There was a kangaroo rat named Kangy...