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Dipodomys agilis

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Agile Kangaroo Rat
(Dipodomys agilis)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:Rodentia
Suborder:Supramyomorpha
Infraorder:Castorimorphi
Family:Heteromyidae
Subfamily:Dipodomyinae
Genus:Dipodomys
Binomial details
Dipodomys agilis Gambel, 1848

Description

From Jameson & Peeters (2004): "A medium to large-sized kangaroo rat. Its tail has a brown or black tuft and dorsal and ventral dark stripes with very few white hairs. The hind foot has five toes."

From Wilson et al. (2016): "Tail is 155 % of head-body length. This is a medium-sized kangaroo rat with large ears, five toes on hindfeet (including small claw on side of hindfoot), and narrow skull. Upper parts are dark reddish brown or dusky cinnamon buff; tail is bicolored, with dull brownish-black crest and tuft. Juveniles have a darker pelage than adults and lack elongated crests of hairs on their tails."

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External measurements

Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.

Part of range Reference Total length Tail length Hindfoot length Ear length Mass
California Jameson & Peeters (2004) 265–319 155–197 40–46 67–76
not reported Wilson et al. (2016) head and body: 115–125 (males); 107–113 (females) 170–195 (males); 170–192 (females) 40–46 13–15 66–79 (males); 63–78 (females)


Skull

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Similar species

From Bleich (1977): "[Dipodomys] stephensi is similar externally to D. agilis, the geographic distribution of which partly coincides with that of stephensi. D. stephensi differs from agilis in having: a relatively wider head; broader arietiform markings; dusky rather than dark soles on the hind feet; few rather than many white hairs in the tail tuft; many hairs in the dorsal and ventral tail stripes having white bases (giving the stripes a grizzled appearance); narrow lateral white tail stripes indistinctly demarcated from the dark stripes, rather than broad, sharply demarcated lateral stripes; ear averaging 15 mm rather than 17 mm in length."

From Jameson & Peeters (2004): "This species is similar to Stephen's Kangaroo Rat (D. stephensi), but the Pacific Kangaroo Rat (D. agilis) has a white or light spot at the base of the ear pinna, whereas Stephen's Kangaroo Rat does not. The Pacific Kangaroo Rat is also similar to the Baja California Kangaroo Rat (D. simulans), but when viewed from above, the auditory bullae are oval in the Pacific Kangaroo Rat and kidney shaped in the Baja California Kangaroo Rat."

From Wilson et al. (2016): "The Agile Kangaroo Rat is most similar to the Dulzura Kangaroo Rat (D. simulans) that is smaller with smaller ears and narrower face; the Narrow-faced Kangaroo Rat (D. venustus) that is larger with longer ears and narrower face; and Heermann’s Kangaroo Rat (D. heermanni) that is larger with smaller ears and wider face."

Species Toes Tail tip Size
Dipodomys agilis 5 brown or black medium to large
Dipodomys heermanni 5 dusky to dusky-blackish medium to large
Dipodomys merriami 4 dusky small to medium
Dipodomys microps 5 dark, sometimes tip appears pale medium
Dipodomys panamintinus 5 dusky medium to large
Dipodomys simulans 5 dark medium
Dipodomys stephensi 5 dark medium

References

Bleich VC. 1977. Dipodomys stephensi. Mammalian Species (73): 1-3.

Gambel W. 1849-03-31. Descriptions of two new California quadrupeds. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 4(4):77-78.

Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.

Wilson DE, Lacher, Jr TE, Mittermeier RA. 2016. Heteromyidae. In: Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions: 170-233, ISBN: 978-84-941892-3-4, DOI: https://zenodo.org/records/6611160

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