Kangaroo Rat
by Nick M.
Did you know there is a rat that is very similar to a kangaroo? The Kangaroo rat has many characteristics of a kangaroo but it is much smaller, lives in the United States and builds burrows.
This rodent looks very cute. It’s about 4 to13 inches from head to toe. The kangaroo rat has a long tail and long hind legs. These creatures’ fur is dark brown to pale yellow and its belly is white. It weighs about 4.6 ounces. Also it has oil secreting glands between its shoulders that cover its body to stop it from becoming dehydrated.
There has to be a lot of soft soil so they can dig their burrows easier. The burrows have four entrances. At one site 875 holes were dug by one rat! They sleep at about 100 degrees F (37 degrees C) in the daytime. They live in dry bushy areas in San Luis Obispo County, California.
Can you believe this little creature can jump 6 times its body length? The kangaroo rat can jump about 6.5 feet (2 meters). They are also very good swimmers. They eat bugs and insects but they are prey for snakes, coyotes, and foxes. Some adults usually fight with other animals.
The Kangaroo Rat is endangered. Predators kill them and eat them and men destroy there habitat by building homes and hotels. It is against the law to sell these tiny animals.
In order to save this little creature from becoming extinct, man must stop destroying there habitat. Let’s try to get the Kangaroo Rat’s name off the endangered species list.