The Tipton kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides), is a subspecies of the San Joaquin kangaroo rat

Fresno Kangaroo Rat

The Fresno Kangaroo Rat or San Joaquin Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys nitratoides, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to areas near the San Joaquin Valley of California in the United States. Habitat loss due to agricultural development and urbanization has put this species at...

, a rodent

Rodent

Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....

 in the family Heteromyidae

Heteromyidae

The family of rodents that include kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice and rock pocket mice is the Heteromyidae family. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, though species within the Heteromys and Liomys genera are also found in forests and...

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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

Kern National Wildlife Refuge is located in the southern portion of California's San Joaquin Valley, 20 miles west of the city of Delano. Situated on the southern margin of what was once the largest freshwater wetland complex in the western United States, Kern National Wildlife Refuge provides...

, Delano

Delano, California

Delano's climate is characteristic of the San Joaquin Valley. The weather is hot and dry during the summer and cool and damp in winter. Frequent ground fog known regionally as "tule fog" can obscure vision. Record temperatures range between 115°F and 14°F...

, and the natural lands surrounding Lamont

Lamont, California

Lamont is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Lamont is located south-southeast of downtown Bakersfield, at an elevation of 404 feet...

 (southeast of Bakersfield), Kern County, at the Coles Levee Ecosystem Preserve and in other scattered areas to the south in Kern County, in areas west of Tipton

Tipton, California

Tipton is a census-designated place in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 2,543 at the 2010 census, up from 1,790 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tipton is located at ....

, Pixley

Pixley, California

Pixley is a census-designated place in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 3,310 at the 2010 census, up from 2,586 at the 2000 census...

, and Earlimart, Pixley National Wildlife Refuge

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 bordered historic Tulare Lake, the largest lake west of...

, Allensworth Ecological Reserve, and Allensworth State Historical Park in Tulare County

Tulare County, California

Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border...

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Diet

Tipton kangaroo rats eat mainly seeds. They also consume some insects and small amounts of herbaceous vegetation when available.

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