Dipodomys panamintinus
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Heteromyidae
Dipodomys
Dipodomys panamintinus

description: 66.
Panamint Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys panamintinus
French: Rat-kangourou des Panamint / German: Mojave-Kéngururatte / Spanish: Rata canguro de Panamint
Other common names: Mojave Kangaroo Rat
Taxonomy. Perodipus panamintinus Merriam, 1894,
head of Willow Creek [c.6,200 ft., c.3 mi. NE Jackass Spring], Panamint Mountains, Inyo Co., California, USA.
Based on molecular sequence analyses, D. panamintinus is a member of the heermanni species group along with D. heer manni, D. gravipes, D. ingens, D. microps, and D.stephens. Five subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
D. p. panamintinusMerriam, 1894 — SWUSA (restricteddistributioninthePanamintMtsoftheMojaveDesertinSECalifornia).
D. p. argusensisHuey, 1945 — SWUSA (restricteddistributionintheArgusMtsoftheMojaveDesertinSECalifornia).
D. p. caudatusHall, 1946 — SWUSA (ProvidenceMtsregionoftheMojaveDesertinSECaliforniaandadjacentSNevada).
D. p. leucogenysGrinnell, 1919 — SWUSA (WedgeoftheGreatBasinDesertinECali-forniaandWNevada).
D. p. mohavensis Grinnell, 1918 — SW USA (Owens Valley to Antelope Valley of the Mojave Desert of SC California).
Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 119 mm,tail mean 170 mm, ear mean 14 mm, hindfoot mean 44 mm; weight mean 72 g. Male Panamint Kangaroo Rats are slightly larger than females. This is a medium-sized to large-sized kangaroo rat with short ears, five toes on hindfeet (including small claw on side of hindfoot), and relatively small auditory bullae. Upper parts are pale brownish;tail is bicolored, with heavy dull brownish-black crest and tuft. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 64 and FN = 94-98. The Panamint Kangaroo Rat is most similar to Heermann’s Kangaroo Rat (D. heermanni), but no areas of sympatry are known. From sympatric five-toed kangaroo rats, the Panamint Kangaroo Rat can be distinguished by its considerably larger body size, relatively longer tail (vs. Ord’s Kangaroo Rat, D. ordii), and awlshaped lower incisors (vs. the Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat, D. microps).
Habitat. Areas of common but widely scattered Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia, Asparagaceae), junipers (Juniperus californica, Cupressaceae), creosote bush (Larrea tridentata, Zygophyllaceae), catclaw (Acacia, Fabaceae), and cacti (Opuntia, Cactaceae). In higher elevations, Panamint Kangaroo Rats occur in open spaces between juniper and pinyon pine (Pinus, Pinaceae). Soil occupied varies from coarse sand and gravelly desert flats to alkaline soils, sometimes with a salty crust. They avoid cliffs and areas with desert pavement. Compared with other regional kangaroo rats, the Panamint Kangaroo Rat prefers high-elevation habitats—e.g. 1185-2670 m (subspecies leucogenys), 1140-1620 m (caudatus), and 1200-1950 m (panamintinus). On one 2-7-ha study plot in west-central Nevada, Ord’s Kangaroo Rat was restricted to sand-dune habitat, and the Panamint Kangaroo Rat was confined to big sage (Artemisia tridentata, Asteraceae). It appears that presence of pinyonjuniper woodland along the Santa Clara River Valley has allowed the Panamint Kangaroo Rat to move westward into the San Gabriel Mountains. In areas of the Mojave Desert where it occurs, average annual temperature ranges from a minimum of 7°C to a maximum of 25°C (mean 16°C). The Panamint Kangaroo Rat digs burrows in small mounds of sand that accumulates around clumps of bushes. These burrows may be quite complex, with twelve or so tunnels connected by well-worn surface runways.
Food and Feeding. In the San Gabriel Mountains, cheek pouches of Panamint Kangaroo Rats in early winter contained green shoots of grass and little dried material. Cheek pouches of other individuals were stuffed with juniper fruit. Insects are probably eaten.
Breeding. Breeding season of the Panamint Kangaroo Rat peaks in February-March but extendsat least into May. Average littersizes are 3-4 young (range 2-5).
Activity patterns. Most activity outside of the burrow is at night, and Panamint Kangaroo Rats are active year-round, except when there is more than 40% snow cover. Its tracks have been seen in snow in the San Gabriel Mountains, and it is active at minimum temperatures of —3°C (winter), -5°C (spring), 1°C (summer), and -1°C (autumn). Throughout the year, nocturnal activity is bimodal, with peaks at two and 6-9 hours after sunset. Activity is low or absent toward sunrise.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Male and female Panamint Kangaroo Rats defend non-overlapping home ranges that average 0-43 ha. Home rangesizes vary throughout the year, peaking in February (1-2 ha) and July (1 ha); there is no intersexual difference in home range size.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust.
Bibliography. Alexander & Riddle (2005), Best (1993a, 1999g), Eisenberg (1963, 1993), Hafner et al. (2007), Hall (1981), Ingles (1954), Intress & Best (1990), Jones (1993), Linzey & NatureServe (Hammerson) (2008f), Patton & Rogers (1993), Williams et al. (1993).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Heteromyidae, pp. 170-233 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 233, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6611160