As the common name suggests, Dipodomys ingens is the largest of at least 20 species in this kangaroo rat genus. Nose to tip of tail, it averages 13 inches long. But the name could equally reflect the importance of its ecological role. Individual kangaroo rats tenaciously defend their territory, also called a precinct. To delineate a precinct boundary, a kangaroo rat mows down vegetation over an area up to 25 feet in diameter.
Numerous precincts form a kangaroo rat colony.
As a tiller of soil, and a planter and harvester of seeds, the giant kangaroo rat stimulates plant growth and influences what species grow on its precinct. Like its marsupial namesake, the kangaroo rat has large hind legs on which it hops, its long tail acting like a rudder. By swinging its tail, a kangaroo rat can change direction up to 90 degrees while in mid-air. Besides providing propulsion, the hind legs of a kangaroo rat let it alert potential mates, deter intruders, and even scare off predators. Each species has its own pattern of footdrumming.