Dipodomys ordii Woodhouse, 1853

Ord's kangaroo rat

Species recognized by The Integrated Taxonomic Information System external link, T Orrell (custodian) in 
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC) external link Showing: scientific names

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General Description

Description

Source and Additional Information
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Smithsonian's North American Mammals external link
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Smithsonian Institution - North American Mammals external link
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By occupying the short grass prairie of the Great Plains, and a variety of habitats where there are fine-textured, sandy soils, Ord's Kangaroo Rat has managed a truly enormous geographic distribution. The varied habitats that it occupies include semi-arid grasslands, mixed-grasslands, and scrublands. This ecological variation, together with the considerable geographic range, has contributed to the fact that more than 30 subspecies have been named. Ord's Kangaroo Rats are most active on cloudy nights. They usually stay in their burrows in bad weather and especially on clear, moonlit nights when owls can spot them most easily. Other predators include foxes, coyotes, badgers, and long-tailed weasels.

Links:
Mammal Species of the World
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References
  • Woodhouse, S.W., 1853.  Description of a new species of pouched rat, of the genus Dipodomys, Gray, p.235.  Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 6:235-236.
"Dipodomys ordii Woodhouse, 1853". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/328115". Accessed 22 Mar 2010.