Merriam's Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys merriami
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilyHeteromyidae (Kangaroo Rats and Pocket Mice)
- GenusDipodomys (Kangaroo Rats)
- SpeciesDipodomys merriami (Merriam's Kangaroo Rat)
About the Merriam's Kangaroo Rat
Merriam's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. The species name commemorates Clinton Hart Merriam. It is found in the Upper and Lower Sonoran life zones of the southwestern United States, Baja California, and northern Mexico.
Merriam's kangaroo rats, like other kangaroo rats and pocket mice, are members of the family Heteromyidae. Each species within this family has fur-lined food storage pouches. The cheek pouch is utilized as a portable cache for food while foraging. Kangaroo rats are named for their extremely long, kangaroo-like hind feet and they are almost completely bipedal. They hop or jump rather than scurry or run. Because of this, most heteromyid rodents also have a relatively long tail that acts to counterbalance the hopping/jumping form of locomotion.
Fur color varies between populations within the species' range, but the back color is generally light brown or tan. The merriami species is smaller than most of the other kangaroo rats in the southwest. Adults average about 14 inches in length. The tail is relatively long with a large tuft of hair at the tip. The tuft is thought to act like fletching on an arrow... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Desert Pocket Mouse
Chaetodipus penicillatus
Bailey's Pocket Mouse
Chaetodipus baileyi
Rock Squirrel
Otospermophilus variegatus
Round-tailed Ground Squirrel
Xerospermophilus tereticaudus
Harris' Antelope Squirrel
Ammospermophilus harrisii
Arizona Cotton Rat
Sigmodon arizonae
White-throated Woodrat
Neotoma albigula
Cliff Chipmunk
Tamias dorsalis
Abert's Squirrel
Sciurus aberti
Cactus Mouse
Peromyscus eremicus
Arizona Gray Squirrel
Sciurus arizonensis
Yellow-nosed Cotton Rat
Sigmodon ochrognathus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Merriam's Kangaroo Rat in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Merriam's Kangaroo Rat sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Merriam's Kangaroo Rat in Saguaro National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Merriam's Kangaroo Rat in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.