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Medium-sized kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spp. Gray) function as keystone species in the dynamics of desert bunchgrasses. We tested the hypothesis that kangaroo rat graminivory leads to reduced grass growth and inflorescence production, and that kangaroo rat grass consumption reflects their preferences for open microhabitats. We excluded kangaroo rats from grasses, and measured tiller loss, leaf and tiller growth and inflorescence production. We recorded the extent of tiller loss in grasses varying in tussock size or the extent of surrounding cover. Consumption of tillers by kangaroo rats was extensive, peaking in late summer. Grasses protected from kangaroo rat graminivory showed elevated leaf and tiller growth and...
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North American desert rodents in the family Heteromyidae live in an unpredictable environment characterized by extremes in temperature and food availability; therefore, the ability to hoard food is a vital adaptation. Although much laboratory research has investigated food-hoarding tactics of heteromyid rodents, data from natural systems are scarce. We used a combination of fluorescently labeled seeds and observations of focal individuals to evaluate food-hoarding behavior in wild Merriam's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami) living in different competitive environments. There was considerable individual variation within populations in the tendency to larderhoard seeds in a burrow versus scatterhoard seeds in widely...
Geographical variation in morphometric characters in heteromyid rodents has often correlated with climate gradients. Here, we used the long-term database of rodents trapped in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, USA to test whether significant annual changes in external morphometric characters are observed in a region with large variations in temperature and precipitation. We looked at the relationships between multiple temperature and precipitation variables and a number of morphological traits (body mass, body, tail, hind leg, and ear length) for two heteromyid rodents, Dipodomys merriami and Perognathus flavescens. Because these rodents can live multiple years in the wild, the climate variables...
    map background search result map search result map Competitive environment affects food-hoarding behavior of Merriam's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami) Competitive environment affects food-hoarding behavior of Merriam's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami)