Nature Canada

Jumpin’ around with the Ord’s Kangaroo Rat

I know you’re thinking that this rat must resemble that of the common rat we find on the street, but no, this rat is not in the family of the common rat. In fact, this rat jumps like a kangaroo! The Ord’s kangaroo rat is a nocturnal rodent, so unless you’re out very late, you’ll never see it! The kangaroo rat has very large hind legs and feet, and is mainly orange-brown with distinctive white markings, including stripes on the tail and its tufted tail accounts for more than half of its total length (260mm). As an adult, the Ord’s kangaroo rat will have a body mass of 69g, that’s less than 1 pound! Sadly, these rats have a life span of less than 1 year old. The average litter size is 3, but adult females may have up to 4 liters per year. Astoundingly, the average age for the first reproduction after birth is 47 days. The populations of the Ord’s Kangaroo rat is lowest in early spring as reproduction is constrained to the snow-free period.

where is it found?

The Ord’s Kangaroo rat is found in Saskatchewan, Alberta and central Mexico. They require open, vegetated and sandy habitats to be able to hop around and to burrow. Canadian Ord’s Kangaroo rats are the only one of their kind to ‘hibernate’ in the winter when the ground is snow covered. When they sleep, it can last up to 17 hours and can occur about 70 times a winter. There are high death rates because of starvation, and freezing. But, they have been recorded outside in -19 degrees Celsius during snow free-periods. Their natural habitat consists of sand dunes, sand flats and sandy slopes of valleys in sand hill areas. But the sandy habitats are declining due to invasion of vegetation, climate change and human-land uses. Ord’s Kangaroo rats are territorial and defend burrows and underground food nests. The kangaroo rat is granivorous (only eats grains), but also eats other plants and insects.

its biggest threat

The biggest threats are loss of habitat. Also, since there have been more recent extreme seasonal fluctuations, it has affected population size. Most kangaroo rats travel less than 500m in their lifetime. It has even put the Canadian population at imminent risk of extinction. The kangaroo rat cannot live in areas were humans are, as it is a threat to them. They thrive best, when away from anything that can be an anthropogenic threat. Agricultural practices are also known to be a threat. The kangaroo rat possess unique characteristics, and they are useful for conserving prairie sand dunes, which are a declining habitat that many species depend on.

If you appreciate the prairie ecosystem, and you see it in person, you will gain a deeper understanding of the habitat that these kangaroo rats live in. You will then wish to join the fight for these little kangaroo rats. Also, by visiting the prairies in person, or learning from online, you will be further equipped on the best ways to help. And if you spot an Ord’s kangaroo rat, contact someone! Lastly, share this information with your friends and family so that they can know all about the Ord’s Kangaroo Rat!

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