Fresno Kangaroo Rat
Encyclopedia
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 risk.
There are three subspecies of D. nitratoides;
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...
. It is endemic to areas near the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Habitat loss due to agricultural development and urbanization has put this species at risk.
There are three subspecies of D. nitratoides;
- D. n. exilis (Fresno subspecies),
- D. n. nitratoides (Tipton subspecies)Tipton kangaroo ratThe Tipton kangaroo rat , is a subspecies of the San Joaquin kangaroo rat, a rodent in the family Heteromyidae.-Description:...
, - D. n. brevinasus (Short-nose subspecies).