The Tipton kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides''), is a subspecies of the
San Joaquin kangaroo rat, a
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...
in the family
Heteromyidae
Heteromyidae is a family of rodents consisting of kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, pocket mice and spiny pocket mice. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, though species within the ...
.
Description
Adult Tipton kangaroo rats have small forefeet, exceptionally large hind feet, and long tail. They have a head and body length of about 100 to 110 millimeters and weigh approximately 35 to 38 grams. The tail length is about 125 to 130 millimeters in length. This subspecies is larger than the Fresno kangaroo rat and smaller than the
short-nosed kangaroo rat (''D. nitratoides brevinasus'').
Distribution
This subspecies lives in ground burrows between the
Kern National Wildlife Refuge
Kern National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area located in the southern portion of California's San Joaquin Valley, west of the city of Delano. Situated on the southern margin of what was once the largest freshwater wetland complex known as ...
,
Delano, and the natural lands surrounding
Lamont (southeast of
Bakersfield
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region.
Bakersfield's population as of the ...
),
Kern County
Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield.
Kern County compris ...
, at the
Coles Levee Ecosystem Preserve and in other scattered areas to the south in Kern County, in areas west of
Tipton
Tipton is an industrial town in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It had a population of 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham and southeas ...
,
Pixley, and
Earlimart,
Pixley National Wildlife Refuge
Pixley National Wildlife Refuge is located south of Tulare, California and north of Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley. The nature refuge represents one of the few remaining examples of the grasslands, vernal pools, and playas that once b ...
,
Allensworth Ecological Reserve
Allensworth Ecological Reserve is a park in Tulare County, California.
The reserve is 5,100 acres and contains valley saltbush scrub and valley sink scrub habitats. The animals at the park include ground squirrels and coast horned lizards, while t ...
, and
Allensworth State Historical Park Allensworth may refer to:
People
* Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth (1842 – 1914), United States Army officer
* Jermaine Allensworth, American basketball player
* Josephine Leavell Allensworth (1855-1938), American musician, teacher, & activist
...
in
Tulare County
Tulare County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 473,117. The county seat is Visalia. The county is named for Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lake ...
.
Diet
Tipton kangaroo rats eat mainly seeds. They also consume some insects and small amounts of herbaceous vegetation when available.
See also
*
Kangaroo rat
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 ...
References
Further reading
*Jameson et al. 1988. California Mammals.
*Wilson et al. (editors). 1999. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals.
*Whitaker (editor). 1998. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals, Revised Edition.
*Zeiner et al. (editors). 1990. California's Wildlife, Volume III, Mammals.
External links
Federal register documents
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5480386
Dipodomys
Endemic fauna of California
Endemic rodents of the United States
Natural history of the Central Valley (California)
San Joaquin Valley
Mammals described in 1894
ESA endangered species