86 MAMMALS OF UTAH 



New Mexico, and northern and western Arizona. Utah 

 specimens have been taken at Bluff City, Hanksville, Heb- 

 ron, Henry Mountain, Kanab, Manti, Mountain Meadows> 

 Pine Valley, St. George, Pine Valley Mountains and Santa 

 Clara. 



Family HETEROMYIDAE— Kangaroo Rats, Pocket Mice 



Subfamily DIPODOMYINAE 



UTAH KANGAROO RAT 



PERODIPUS MONTANUS UTAHENSIS (Merriam) 



Perodipus montanus utahensis Merriam, Proc. Bio. Soc. Wash. 

 XVII, 1904, p. 143. 



Description — Similar to P. montanus; hind foot small- 

 er ; upper parts less fulvous ; ears darker, the anterior fold 

 dusky except at extreme tip; ventral tail stripe continuous 

 to tip of pencil. (Elliot.) 



Distribution — The type locality of this form is Ogden, 

 Utah; and the extent of its range is unknown. 



Halbits — Kangaroo rats are neither kangaroos or rats, 

 but near relatives of the pocket mice, which share their des- 

 ert haunts. They are characterized by a kangaroo-like form, 

 including small fore legs and feet, long hind legs and feet for 

 jumping, and a tail longer than the body to serve as a bal- 

 ance. In addition they have large prominent eyes and are 

 provided with skin pouches on each side of the mouth for 

 use in carrying food. Being desert animals they live like 

 pocket mice, without drinking, obtaining the necessary 

 water through their digestive processes. They are most 

 numerous in sandy areas where the earth is sometimes so 

 riddled by their burrows that horseback riding over them 

 is dangerous. Kangaroo rats are nocturnal and always 

 live in burrows dug by themselves. They do not hibernate 

 but lay up stores of food for temporary purposes. Their food 

 consists of seeds, leaves of several plants and young plants 

 just sprouting from the ground. (Nelson.) 



