Photo by: Joanna Gilkeson/USFWS
Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys stephensi
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Threatened
(fws.gov)
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U.S. Endangered Species Act
(fws.gov)
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Stephens’ kangaroo rats are currently threatened by the loss and fragmentation of their habitats (fws.gov).
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This species occurs in 3 regions of southern California: western Riverside County, central San Diego County, and western San Diego County (fws.gov).
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While there is not an official document posted for Stephens’ kangaroo rat survey protocols, this document is of a survey done in 2007 for this species and it lists the researchers’ protocols: Stephens' Kangaroo Rat Survey Report 2007 (wrc-rca.org)
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Their preferred habitats are open grasslands and sparsely vegetated scrub. This is because the species’ adaptations allow them to be in warm, arid environments. In these environments, they construct and live in underground burrows. These burrow systems are used for shelter, protection from predators, food storage, and nesting. Breeding and nesting occur mostly in winter and spring. Their diet is primarily seeds and since they are nocturnal mammals, they forage at night. The maximum lifespan for Stephens’ kangaroo rats is 2-6 years (fws.gov).
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Looking at their preferred habitats and dispersal by tracking their current movements could be useful research in establishing flow between populations that could recover numbers.
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The body is brown and white. The hind legs are larger than the front legs, and this rodent has a big head. The hind feet have dusky soles, and its tail is long (1.5 times its body length) (fws.gov). Stephens’ kangaroo rats look extremely similar to the Dulzura kangaroo rat, and the differences are very subtle. Stephens’ has a rounder and slightly broader face, giving it a bulged look on the region between the eyes. Dulzura has a narrower face that looks more triangular when looking at it from the front (consbio.org).
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