General: Kangaroo rats are recognized by their kangaroo-like appearance: they have large hind legs and feet, small front legs and feet, long tufted tails, and they hop on their hind legs like Australian kangaroos.Merriam's is the smallest kangaroo rat species around Las Vegas. The species is so called due to hopping like a kangaroo. Physical Description The San Bernardino kangaroo rat, like other subspecies of Merriam's kangaroo rat, prefers open habitats characterized by low shrub canopy cover (mostly 7-22%) and rarely occurs in dense vegetation. Merriam’s kangaroo rat is found in the deserts of Utah, Nevada, California, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico in the United States, and in Mexico. Habitat Kangaroo rats inhabit a variety of desert niches. The Desert kangaroo rat resembles a tiny kangaroo, and is a size of a mouse. The species name commemorates Clinton Hart Merriam. Merriam’s kangaroo rats are widely distributed throughout the major deserts of the western United States (Beatley 1976; Germaine et al. Fish & Wildlife Service ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System Before mating, the male and female will perform nasal-anal circling until the female stops and allows the male to mount her. Its status in the wild is good right now. They will create shallow burrows with multiple entrances. Range and Habitat. Diet Behavior. Range: Merriam's kangaroo rats are found in the upper and lower Sonoran life zones of the southwestern United States, Baja California, and northern Mexico. Range and Habitat. Therefore, the older seral stages of the floodplain vegetation are … Merriam's kangaroo rats breed between February and May and produce two or three litters per year. Facts Summary: The Merriam's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami) is a species of concern belonging in the species group "mammals" and found in the following area(s): Mexico, United States. Merriam's kangaroo rats live individually within a maze of burrows. U.S.FWS Species profile about species listing status, federal register publications, recovery, critical habitat, conservation planning, petitions, and life history U.S. In San Diego County they are found in the low desert and the washes east of Laguna, Volcan, and Palomar Mountains. The Desert kangaroo rats are adorable animals with noticeably large hind legs, helping them escape from predators. 2012). The San Bernardino kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami parvus) is one of 19 recognized subspecies of Merriam’s kangaroo rat (D. merriami) which is a widespread species distributed throughout arid regions of the western United States and northwestern Mexico (Hall 1981, p. 586; Williams et al. Range Kangaroo rats are found in the drier regions of the western and southwestern U.S. Wild Status The kangaroo rat is not endangered. Males and females each establish individual territories. Habitat. 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