Dipodomys microps
Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat
(Dipodomys microps) | |
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Range | |
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Taxonomic classification | |
Order: | Rodentia |
Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
Infraorder: | Castorimorphi |
Family: | Heteromyidae |
Subfamily: | Dipodomyinae |
Genus: | Dipodomys |
Binomial details | |
Dipodomys microps (Merriam, 1904) |
Description
From Hayssen (1991): "The chisel-toothed kangaroo rat is a medium-sized, narrow-faced, small-eared, five-toed kangaroo rat with incisors that are flattened anteriorly and not strongly incurved, and ever-growing cheek teeth (Nader, 1966). The skull is narrow and constricted and the maxillary arches are weakly angled. The pelage is slightly darker than average for the genus (Grinnell, 1922; Hall and Dale, 1939)."
From Hoffmeister (1986): "A medium-sized, five-toed (hind foot) species of Dipodomys with lower incisors flat on front face and broad, thus appearing chisel-like; longer-tailed and -bodied than other "small" Arizona species (merriami and ordii); lining of cheek pouches dusky; maxillary arms of zygomata not sharply angled but narrow; dorsal tail stripe blackish and broad."
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 |
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California | Jameson & Peeters (2004) | 244–290 | 140–173 | 38–44 | 55–75 |
Similar species
From Hayssen (1991): "D. microps shares it range with two other five-toed kangaroo rats, D. panamintinus and D. ordii. D. microps has a hind foot <44 mm in length in the part of its range shared with D. panamintinus (length of hind foot is 42-48 mm for D. panamintinus) and has flatter, more chisel-shaped incisors than either D. panamintinus or D. ordii (Hall, 1981). D. microps also can be distinguished from D. ordii by its more prominent face-mask and dark tail-stripes as well as its coat color, which has a gun-metal hue (Hatch et al., 1971)."
From Hoffmeister (1986): "D. microps differs from D. merriami as follows: five toes on hind foot instead of four; lower incisors flat on front face rather than curved and narrow; larger on the average in all external measurements; least interorbital breadth less than one-half the basal length rather than usually more; maxillary arches narrow and rounded rather than sharply angled; lining of cheek pouches appears dusky rather than whitish." "D. ordii differs from D. microps as follows: lower incisors rounded on the front face rather than flat and broad; dark, ventral tail stripe usually terminates short of the tip rather than extending to tip; dark stripes on tail usually narrower, rather than wider, than white stripes; lining of cheek pouches white rather than dusky; hind feet and body averaging shorter; skull relatively broader interorbitally.
Dipodomys microps has chisel-shaped (anteriorly flattened and broad) lower incisors, whereas D. merriami, D. agilis, D. panamintinus, and D. ordii have awl-shaped lower incisors. The chisel shape of the incisors is unique to this species.
References
Grinnell J. 1922. A geographical study of the kangaroo rats of California (Vol. 24). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Hall ER. 1981. The mammals of North America. 2 vols. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
Hall ER, Dale FH. 1939. Geographic races of the kangaroo rat, Dipodomys microps. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, Louisiana State University 4:47-62.
Hatch FT, Ridley EJ, Mazrimas JA. 1971. Some Dipodomys species: ecological and taxonomic features, estrous cycle, and breeding attempts. (No. UCRL-51140). California University, Livermore. Lawrence Livermore Lab.
Hayssen V. 1991. Dipodomys microps. Mammalian Species (389):pp.1-9.
Hoffmeister DF. 1986. Mammals of Arizona. Tucson (AZ, USA): University of Arizona Press.
Merriam CH. 1904-07-14. New and little known kangaroo rats of the genus Perodipus. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 17:139-145.
Nader IA. 1966. Roots of teeth as a generic character in the kangaroo rats, Dipodomys. Bulletin of the Biological Research Centre 2:62-69.