Description: Kangaroo rats are recognized by their kangaroo-like
appearance: large hind legs and feet, small front feet, and long tufted tails.
They hop on their hind legs. The Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat is
medium sized (head and body: 10 - 13 cm [4 - 5 in.]; tail: 15 - 18 cm
[6 - 7 in.]) and has coloration that is fairly dark buff above, whitish
below. The tail has light side stripes that are narrower than dark dorsal and
ventral stripes. The hind foot has five toes and enough hair to give it a snowshoe
appearance. The incisors are flat on the anterior surface. In southern Nevada,
the five toes, hairy feet, flat incisors, and its range
distinguish this species from others. Offspring (1 - 4) born during May
and June.
Diet: Green vegetation and seeds.
Habitat: Desert floors and rocky desert slopes with sandy or gravelly
soils below the pinyon-juniper belt. Found in association with sagebrush,
shadscale, and greasewood.
Range: The species occurs throughout the Great Basin; this
subspecies occurs throughout Nevada in most mid- and lower-elevation areas
except along the Muddy River drainage and eastern Clark County.
Comments: Also called the Great Basin kangaroo rat.
Ron
Altig
