| By occupying the short grass prairie of the Great Plains, and a variety of habitats where there are fine-textured, sandy soils, Ord's Kangaroo Rat has managed a truly enormous geographic distribution. The varied habitats that it occupies include semi-arid grasslands, mixed-grasslands, and scrublands. This ecological variation, together with the considerable geographic range, has contributed to the fact that more than 30 subspecies have been named. Ord's Kangaroo Rats are most active on cloudy nights. They usually stay in their burrows in bad weather and especially on clear, moonlit nights when owls can spot them most easily. Other predators include foxes, coyotes, badgers, and long-tailed weasels.
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are larger than females.
Length:
Average:
243 mm males; 242 mm females
Range:
210-365 mm males; 208-360 mm females
Weight:
Average:
52 g
References:
Woodhouse, S.W., 1853. Description of a new species of pouched rat, of the genus Dipodomys, Gray, p.235. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 6:235-236.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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