Agile Kangaroo Rat

About the Agile Kangaroo Rat

The agile kangaroo rat (Dipodomys agilis) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to southern California in the United States. In the 1980s, it was classified as monotypic, though later studies have recognized two subspecies.

Relatively little information has been published on the natural history, life history, ecology, or behavior of the agile kangaroo rat. The species appears to be part of the Californian kangaroo rat radiation, which is derived from a common ancestor with Ord's kangaroo rat. An observational study found distinct habitat differences between the agile and Stephens's kangaroo rats, with the agile preferring more shrubs and lighter soils.

William Gambel proposed the scientific name Dipodomys agilis for a jerboa-like animal from Los Angeles in 1848. The agile kangaroo rat and other kangaroo rats are classified in the family Heteromyidae. The closest relatives of this family are the pocket gophers.

After Gambel's description of the agile kangaroo rat, several agile kangaroo rat subspecies were described. The authors of the taxonomic authority Mammal Species of the World recognized two subspecies in 2005 with one... Wikipedia →