Dipodomyinae is a subfamily of heteromyid rodents, the kangaroo rats and mice. Dipodomyines, as implied by both their common and scientific names, are

biped Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an animal moves by means of its two rear (or lower) limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning 'two feet' (from Latin ''bis'' ' ...

al; they also jump exceptionally well. Kangaroo rats and mice are native to

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

and semidesert ecosystems of western North America from southern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

to central

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. They are generally

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat n ...

foragers, and dig and live in

burrow file:Chipmunk-burrow (exits).jpg, An eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of Animal lo ...

Taxonomy

Dipodomyinae is the

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

of a Perognathinae- Heteromyinae

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

; the two are estimated to have split about 22-24 million years ( Ma) ago. The most recent common ancestor of extant dipodomyines is thought to have lived 15-16 Ma ago, when the two genera split. The most recent common ancestors of extant members of ''Dipodomys'' and ''Microdipodops'' are thought to have lived 10-11 and 7-8 Ma ago, respectively. *Subfamily Dipodomyinae **Genus ''

Dipodomys 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 thi ...

'' — kangaroo rats *** Agile kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys agilis'' *** California kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys californicus'' *** Gulf Coast kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys compactus'' *** Desert kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys deserti'' *** Texas kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys elator'' *** Big-eared kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys elephantinus'' *** San Quintin kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys gravipes'' *** Heermann's kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys heermanni'' *** Giant kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys ingens'' *** Merriam's kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys merriami'' *** Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys microps'' *** Nelson's kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys nelsoni'' *** Fresno kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys nitratoides'' *** Ord's kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys ordii'' *** Panamint kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys panamintinus'' *** Phillips's kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys phillipsii'' *** Dulzura kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys simulans'' *** Banner-tailed kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys spectabilis'' *** Stephens's kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys stephensi'' *** Narrow-faced kangaroo rat, ''Dipodomys venustus'' **Genus '' Microdipodops'' — kangaroo mice *** Pale kangaroo mouse, ''Microdipodops pallidus'' *** Dark kangaroo mouse, ''Microdipodops megacephalus''

References

Heteromyidae Taxa named by Paul Gervais Mammal subfamilies {{Heteromyidae-stub