page_title: Kangaroo rat
section_title: Lifestyle
hierarchical_section_title: Kangaroo rat / Lifestyle
caption_attribution_description: English: A Tipton kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides) at the California Living Museum in Bakersfield, Calif. This mammal is one of three subspecies of the San Joaquin kangaroo rat, morphologically distinguished by being larger than the Fresno kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides exilis) and smaller than the short-nosed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides brevinasus), a species of concern. Tipton males average around 9 1/4 inches. San Joaquin kangaroo rats can be distinguished from other kangaroo rats within their range by the presence of four toes on the hind foot; other species have five toes. Kangaroo rats are adept at jumping, as they can often cover a distance of 6 feet in one leap. Tipton kangaroo rats eat mostly seeds but will also eat fresh green vegetation and various small insects. And they live in burrow systems approximately eight to ten inches below the ground. The burrows are usually found in slightly elevated mounds. Photo taken 1991.
context_page_description: Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus Dipodomys, are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this mode of locomotion independently, like several other clades of rodents.
context_section_description: Kangaroo rats inhabit overlapping home ranges. These home ranges tend to be small with most  activities within 200–300 ft and rarely 600 ft. Home range size can vary within species with Merriam's kangaroo rats having larger home ranges than banner-tailed kangaroo rats. Recently weaned kangaroo rats move into new areas not occupied by adults. Within its home range, a kangaroo rat has a defended territory consisting of its burrowing system.
caption: Tipton kangaroo rat (D. nitratoides nitratoides) at the California Living Museum in Bakersfield
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