Merriam's kangaroo rat
| Merriam's kangaroo rat | ||||||||||||
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Merriam's kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys merriami ) |
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| Dipodomys merriami | ||||||||||||
| Mearns , 1890 |
Merriam's kangaroo rat , also Merriam-Kangaroo rat , ( Dipodomys merriami ) is a species from the genus of the kangaroo rats in the family of pocket mice that is common in southern North America . 19 subspecies have been described by Merriams kangaroo rat.
features
Merriam's kangaroo rat is one of the smallest kangaroo rats. It reaches a total length of 23 to 26 cm with a tail length of 13 to 16 cm and a weight of 38 to 47 grams. The males are larger than the females. The coat color on the top is usually yellow-brown, but varies greatly depending on the subspecies. The underside, the back of the legs, the region above and behind the eyes are white. There are white bands on the sides of the tail and legs. The moderately long, thin tail ends in a dark tassel. The hind legs have four toes.
Merriam's kangaroo rat has 20 teeth. Tooth formula :
| I1 | - | PM1 | M3 |
| I1 | - | PM1 | M3 |
distribution and habitat
Merriam's kangaroo rat is distributed from southern Arizona to central eastern Mexico . There she inhabits semi-deserts and dry grasslands. It occurs on soils with sand, clay, gravel, stones or rocks, the vegetation is characterized by thorn bushes , sagebrush , pinyon pine and juniper and Joshua palm lily. The altitude distribution extends to 2200 m above sea level. In the Chihuahua Desert in Arizona, the population density is around 7.8 individuals per hectare , but it can fluctuate between 3 and 15 animals.
Way of life
Merriam's kangaroo rats usually dig their simple, near-surface burrows at the roots of bushes. The entrance is closed with soil during the day to support a good microclimate. Their diet consists mainly of seeds such as prosopis or cactus plants . Water is rarely drunk, the fluid requirement can be met from metabolically obtained water. Merriam's kangaroo rats move biped with the help of their hind legs and manage jumps of up to two to three meters. By jumping backwards and sideways, they can escape hunters such as owls or snakes. They have good hearing for low-frequency sounds, aided by a large tympanic membrane and a distended middle ear produced by approaching predators . Merriam's kangaroo rats have an average life expectancy of three and a half years. When mating , the female chooses the partner from the immediate area. These males are more likely to be tolerated than strange individuals, the smell perception occurs when sand bathing. The reproductive phase lasts from February and July, but it may also last until November. With two litters per year, usually two to three (with a range of one to six) young are born, which become sexually mature after two to three months.
Existence and endangerment
Merriam's kangaroo rat is common and widespread. The species is classified as Least Concern (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
The two subspecies Dipodomys merriami collinus and Dipodomys merriami parvus are threatened because of habitat loss due to the expansion of coastal metropolitan areas in California .
source
- David Burnie (Ed.): Animals. (The large picture encyclopedia with over 2000 species). Dorling Kindersley, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-831-00956-2 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Mammal Species of the World: Dipodomys merriami Online
- ^ A b David J. Schmidly: The Mammals of Texas. University of Texas Press, 2004, ISBN 978-0292702417 , p. 368.
- ↑ a b c d Gerardo Ceballos: Mammals of Mexico. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-1421408439 , pp. 201-202.
- ↑ a b Dipodomys merriami in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.4. Posted by: AV Linzey, R. Timm, ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, 2008.0. Retrieved October 31, 2010.