Ord’s Kangaroo Mouse
(Rat)
Weight: 1.7- 3.4 oz
Length: 8-14 in
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: chordata
Class: mamalia
Order: rodentia
Family: heteromyidae
Genus: dipodomys
Species: dipodomysordii
Facts: Known predators of Ord’s
kangaroo rats in Canada include
Great Horned Owls. Their distinct
ears are sensitive to the sounds of
the movements of striking snakes,
owl wing beats allowing them to be
more aware of these predators.
Habits:
They are nocturnal, and during the
day they cover their entrance with soil
during the day to maintain
temperature. They also live in colonies
they leave enough distance depending
on how much food they have stored.
By: Michelle Carreon
Habitat:
Found in various habitats of
sandy soils, semi-arid and
mixed grasslands, and
scrublands.
Life Cycle and Life Span:
Some species have 2-3 litters a year
with 1-7 offspring, but usually 2 in a
litter. At birth, they are toothless,
hairless, wrinkled, eyes and ears
are closed, and they show the color
pattern of adults in shades of pink.
Young males grow faster in terms of
mass than young females. They live
from 2-5 years.
Phylogeny
Diet: Granivore that eats seeds of grasses
and forbes and green vegetation.
Facts: They are able to live without drinking water
because they are able to convert the seeds that they
eat into water.
They have pouches on the outside of their cheeks to
carry the seeds.
They use their tales to stay balanced and hop using
their back legs.
References:
Kangaroo Rat Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Retrieved November 12, 2010,
from http://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/krat.php
Kangaroo Rats (DesertUSA). (n.d.). Desert Biomes by DesertUSA. Retrieved November 12, 2010,
from http://www.desertusa.com/aug96/du_krat.html
Kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ordi, control and management. (n.d.). Internet Center for
Wildlife Damage Management for animal damage control. Retrieved November 12, 2010, from
http://icwdm.org/handbook/rodents/KangarooRats.asp