Kangaroo rat

Kangaroo rat Temporal range: Late Pliocene – Recent
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Heteromyidae
Subfamily:	Dipodomyinae
Genus:	Dipodomys J. E. Gray, 1841[1]
Type species
Dipodomys phillipsii J. E. Gray, 1841
Species
Dipodomys agilis Dipodomys californicus Dipodomys compactus Dipodomys deserti Dipodomys elator Dipodomys elephantinus Dipodomys gravipes Dipodomys heermanni Dipodomys ingens Dipodomys merriami Dipodomys microps Dipodomys nelsoni Dipodomys nitratoides Dipodomys ordii Dipodomys panamintinus Dipodomys phillipsii Dipodomys simulans Dipodomys spectabilis Dipodomys stephensi Dipodomys venustus
Synonyms[2]
Dipodops Merriam, 1890 Perodipus Fitzinger, 1867 Macrocolus Wagner, 1846

Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus Dipodomys, are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this mode of locomotion independently, like several other clades of rodents (e.g. dipodids and hopping mice).