| California Kangaroo Rats require open areas away from the humidity of the coast in northern California and southern Oregon. They seem to need well-drained soil, and after a rain can be seen pushing mud out of their burrows. Cold, wet winter weather can be a cause of mortality. California Kangaroo Rats eat seeds, berries, green vegetation, and small tubers, and store food in very small and scattered caches. This Kangaroo Rat has a broad face and dark fur, and its tail has a distinct white tuft on the end.
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are larger than females.
Length:
Average:
307.3 mm males; 304.8 mm females
Range:
260-340 mm
Weight:
Range:
60-85 g
References:
Merriam, C.H., 1890. Descriptions of three new kangaroo rats, with remarks on the identity of Dipodomys ordii of Woodhouse, p. 49. North American Fauna, 4:41-49.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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