R-USN 



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9-33-32 



In fact, kangaroo rate can Co quite a bit of danage that way, and. llr, Bn.iley 

 says that as plans for inrproving or keeping -up the cattle carrying capacity of the 

 range progress, we will prohahly have to cut do'.'rn the nuinher of kangaroo rate in 

 some places. In moderate nunhers they are harmless and interesting neighbors. In 

 the day time, a surprised Icangaroo rat may bob up where you can see hin, but or- 

 dinarily you never see them by day. Kangaroo rats are night prov/lcrs. They close 

 up their burrov/s before daylight and don't open the doors again until aJtcr dark, 



Mr, Bailey says that many a tine ha has opened up some of the doors in the 

 daytime, and v/atched the kangaroo rate bri;ig earth to the entrance and kick it 

 back of them until they closed the doorway again. That shows they are alert, and 

 not all to be ca-Ot^ht napping in the daytime when you might expect them to be asleep. 



They may well be on the alert, too. They have plenty of natural enemies ready 

 to seize them night and day. Snakes, hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, cats, and wea- 

 sels hunt them, and they liave to rely on quick sight and hearing and speed as their 

 only defence outside the closed dens. 



The prompt way the kangaroo rats have of closing their doors during the day, 

 is not the only evidence that they are on the alert, I'.r, Bailey will sliow you 

 another way to tell. He will tap or scratch on the earth at the closed doorway, 

 and if you will listen clor>ely, you may hoar a low drumming or thumping noise from 

 inside the mound, something like the sound of the distant galloping of a horse. 

 The Icangaroo rats nalce that tapping sound or signal with their big hind feet. 



All their enemies are not among other kinds of animals. Kangaroo rate also 

 have their troubles from other Icangaroo rats, For instance, the big Arizona banner- 

 tail builds big mounds and lays up large stores, but a smaller kind of Irangaroo 

 rat does not store food. This little baniior-tail burglar steals from the stores 

 of his bigger relative. The Arizona kangaroo rat will pounce at the little fellow, 

 but when he lands exactly on the spot where the little fellov/ was, that artful 

 dodger is gone. 



However, if the big banner- tail get's the little fellow cornered in close quar- 

 ters, it is too bad for the little thief. In fact, even with their ovm particular 

 kind, kangaroo rats are often vicious fighters, 



Mr, Bailey describes a, fight between two kangaroo rats. They faced eacli 

 other, jumping high in the air, trying to strike each other straight down from 

 above. At first, they both j-amped at once and met in the air, and little damage 

 was done. But as one got tired or scared or was knocked over so that tie other 

 got a fair stroke at it, the blows went home with deadly force. The old saying 

 "he who fights and runs away may live to fight another day" doesn't seem to rork 

 among kangaroo rats. If one turns and runs, its fate is sealed. 



Yet Mr, Bailey tells us tliat these Icangaroo rats are very gentle with human 

 beings. They almost never bite, and ii held loooely in the hollow hands will soon 

 cease struggling and can be as easily handled as any domestic animals, 



ITot only does Ilr, Bailey tell us tliat, but he s.iows us. He has found ]::angaroo 

 rats easy to trap and keep in captivity. That gives us a cliance to get a close-up 

 of them. 



