MAMMALS 



33T- 



P. calif ornicus Merr. Color dark drab ; under parts yellowish white ; 

 rump and flanks supphed with bristles; length 192 mm.; tail 

 103 mm.; hind foot 24 mm.: central and southern 

 California. ' _^ ^^^^ 



Subspecies of P. calif ornicus 



P. c. californicus Merr. Vicinity of San 

 Francisco Bay. 



P. c. dispar Osgood. Size larger; color paler: 

 coast valleys of California; southward to San 

 Bernardino. 



P. c. ochrus Osgood. Color paler; length 200 

 mm.: Kern County, California. 



2. Perodipus Fitzinger. Kangaroo rats (Fig. 

 177). Body slender; hind legs and tail very long, 

 the tail black dorsally and ventrally and white on 

 the sides and ending with a penicillate tuft; hind 

 foot with 5 toes; fur soft; soles of feethairy; dentition 

 I /i, 0/0, 0/0, T)/ ^•, color brownish or yellowish, with 

 a conspicuous white stripe across the thigh; eyes 

 large: about 20 species, mostly in western America; 

 burrowing, nocturnal animals with remarkable 

 jumping powers, making jumps 4 to 6 feet long. 

 They inhabit deserts and dry plains, feeding on 

 seeds and leaves, and raise from 2 to 6 young in a 

 Utter. 



P. simulans Merriam. Color brown; length 285 

 mm.; tail 172 mm.: San Diego County, California. 



P. stephensi Merr. Color dark clay; length 295 

 mm.; tail 180 mm.; hind foot 43 mm.: San Jacinto 

 County, California. 



P. streatori Merr. Color brown; size of P. 

 stephensi: Mariposa County, California. 



P. venusius Merr. Color dark yellowish brown; 

 length 316 mm.; tail 191 mm.; hind foot 45 mm.: 

 Santa Cruz County, California. 



P. sennetti (Allen). Color yellowish buff; length 210 mm.; tail 

 no mm.; hind foot 35 mm.: southeastern Texas. 



P. montaniis (Baird). Color yellowish brown, mixed with black; 

 sides pale; length 250 mm.; tail 130 mm.; hind foot 40 mm.: western 

 South Dakota to Texas; the Great Plains to the base of the Rockies. 



l\ 



Fig. 177. — Perodipus 

 agilis {after Stone b' 

 Cram). 



