Physical Characteristics of Kangaroo Rats

General Appearance

• Kangaroo rats are covered in short fur which is mostly light brown in color. The fur on the belly of a kangaroo rat is white. Although the body of the kangaroo rat is similar in size to that of a mouse, it can measure more than one foot long from its head to the end of its furry, tufted tail. These rodents have large, dark eyes and relatively small ears. Kangaroo rats have long rear legs with large feet and much shorter legs at the front of their bodies.

Ears

• Although its ears are quite small, the kangaroo rat has exceptional hearing. Its sensitive ears are one of its more important tools for survival, as they warn the kangaroo rat when even the quietest of predators, such as a snake or an owl, is approaching. This is very important for the nocturnal kangaroo rat as it cannot rely upon its eyes to detect approaching predators while it is out searching for food in the dark.

Legs

• A kangaroo rat's hind legs are another useful physical characteristic. The rodent's name is inspired by the way that it hops around on these two long legs. When a kangaroo rat senses that a predator is approaching, its hind legs enable it to escape quickly by jumping distances of up to nine feet in a single hop. Large feet allow the rodent to jump in this way in its desert habitat without sinking into the sand, while a long tail helps the animal to balance. Kangaroo rats also use their legs to bang on the ground, move sand and dig the burrows that they inhabit during the day.

Cheek Pouches

• Another feature that allows the kangaroo rat to live successfully in the desert is the pouches located on the outside of its cheeks. When food is scarce, the rodent is able to store food such as seeds in these pouches for weeks at a time, providing a future supply and a means of transporting the food back to the burrow for longer-term storage.

Water-Conserving Characteristics

• In order for kangaroo rats to survive in the dry, hot conditions of the desert, they have several adaptations that help them to conserve water. One of these is the animal's small number of sweat glands, which are located only on the kangaroo rat's feet. There are no sweat glands from which water can escape anywhere else on the animals' bodies. Kangaroo rats also have very efficient kidneys, meaning that they urinate less often. As water can be lost through exhaling, the kangaroo rat has a slow metabolism, which means that they need to inhale and exhale less often in order to gain oxygen from the air. As the kangaroo rat loses very little water, it does not need to drink. Instead, food provides all the water that the kangaroo needs.