Merriam's Kangaroo Rat is the most widespread and abundant kangaroo rat in North America, found across a broad swath of the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Mojave Deserts. Despite its name, it is not a rat but a heteromyid rodent with four toes on its hind feet and a long, tufted tail used for balance during its powerful bipedal hops. Its populations play a keystone role structuring desert plant communities by selectively harvesting seeds.
Habitat
Desert flats and bajadas with sparse, low shrub cover
Diet
Seeds cached in underground burrows
How common
Common
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