kangaroo rats
Desert-dwelling jumping mice
Kangaroo rats are small nocturnal rodents native to North American deserts, named for their powerful hind legs and hopping locomotion.
They can survive without drinking water, obtaining moisture from seeds.
Despite the name, they're not related to kangaroos or true rats—they belong to the family Heteromyidae, alongside pocket mice.
- Sonoran DesertArid region, Arizona-Mexico
- Mojave DesertSouthwestern American arid region
- desert floorDry landscape's base level
- scorpionsVenomous tailed arachnids
- jerboaBipedal desert rodent
cheek pouches · succulents · camels · cacti · fennec foxes · desert rat · horned lizards · dust bathing · tiny paws · rodents · nocturnal · seeds · hopping · energy conservation · adaptations · water conservation · pocket mice · hind legs
- nocturnal animalsowls, bats, raccoons, opossums, moths
- rodentsmouse, rat, guinea pig, squirrel, mice
- desert survivalwater conservation, water storage, water retention, heat tolerance, drought tolerance
- desertsSahara, Gobi, Mojave, Namib, Kalahari
- dunessand dune, blowout, crests, dune formation, coastal dunes
- ranch pestsflies, ticks, lice, mites, stable flies
kangaroo ratsaquatic mammals
Warm-blooded ocean dwellers
hippopotamus · beavers · beaver · hippopotamuses · otter
kangaroo ratsvoles
Small burrowing rodents
shrews · moles · lemmings · ground squirrels · mice