FAMILY OF POCKET RATS 



263 



Rabbit brush. There are usually from three to 

 six entrances to a nest, each entering the ground 

 at an angle of less than 45 degrees, sometimes 

 nearly horizontal, and usually from different 

 directions." 



The typical home of the Kangaroo Rat is 

 sandy river bottoms or on the numerous sand 

 ridges scattered here and there over the plains. 

 It is seldom foimd living in hard soils, but often 

 takes up it:, abode in cultivated fields. The 

 more or less horizontal burrows are excavated 

 beneath bunches of prickly pear, yucca, and 

 sage-brush, or in the banks of blow-outs and 

 railroad embankments. The animals are noc- 

 turnal and most active during the latter part of 

 the night. During the day the burrows are often 

 closed from within, but early in the morning 

 they are usually found open, with a quantity of 

 freshly ejected sand at the entrances. 



Little is known of the breeding habits of these 

 animals ; but of ten females of the Ord Kangaroo 

 Rat, caught in New Mexico between November 



2y and December 6, four were nursing young. 

 At the same time numbers of nearly full-grown 

 young were caught, " which would indicate 

 either that two litters are raised in a season or 

 that the breeding season is very irregular." 



The Pygmy Kangaroo Rat is, as its name 

 indicates, a very much smaller animal than 

 either of the two other genera mentioned above. 

 The hind feet are densely coverd with fur to the 

 tip3 of the toes, and the ears are completely 

 covered with soft fur. It is a habitant of Central 

 Nevada. 



All of the Kangaroo Rats are the prey of owls 

 and snakes, especially rattlesnakes. One speci- 

 men was found " in the throat of a large rattle- 

 snake that had swallowed it as far as the trap 

 would permit." According to William Lloyd, 

 who camped near Brownsville, Texas, they 

 enjoy moonlight nights. On several occasions 

 he saw them skipping about and they came close 

 up to his bed. A lighted lantern seems to bother 

 them greatly. 



Photograph by S. A. Lottndge 



JUMPING MOUSE 

 Jumping mice prefer the open grassy country, although species are found in widely varying localities 



