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Heteromyidae - kangaroo rats, pocket mice

There are around 62 species of rodents in this family. Despite their name, kangaroo rats and pocket mice are not rats or mice! They are nocturnal and are found in western North America, Central America, and South America.

Many species in this family are found in deserts or grasslands. They have fur-lined cheek pouches, round eyes, and round ears. Some species like the kangaroo rats, have long legs and long rear feet for jumping! They have long tails with tufts of fur on the end. Pocket mice are smaller than kangaroo rats and their don't have long rear legs and feet.

The species in this family eat seeds and plant parts. They usually store food in their cheek pouches and bring it back to their burrow. Many species in this family don't need to drink a lot of water to survive and some speci es don't need to drink water at all!

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct
Status taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status, or there is no status data for the species.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

New Hampshire Species		North/Central American Species
None		Little Desert Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus arenarius Narrow-skulled Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus artus Bailey's Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus baileyi California Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus californicus Dalquest's Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus dalquesti Chihuahuan Desert Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus eremicus San Diego Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus fallax Long-tailed Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus formosus Goldman's Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus goldmani Hispid Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus hispidus Rock Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus intermedius Lined Pocket Gopher - Chaetodipus lineatus [dd] Nelson's Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus nelsoni Desert Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus penicillatus Sinaloan Pocket Gopher - Chaetodipus pernix Baja Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus rudinoris Spiny Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus spinatus Agile Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys agilis California Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys californicus Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys compactus Desert Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys deserti Texas Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys elator San Quintin Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys gravipes Heermann's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys heermanni Giant Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys ingens San Jose Island Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys insularis Margarita Island Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys margaritae Merriam's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys merriami Houserock Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat-Dipodomys microps Nelson's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys nelsoni San Joaquin Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys nitratoides
North/Central American Species
Ord's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys ordii Panamint Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys panamintinus Phillip's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys phillipsii Dulzura Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys simulans Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys spectabilis Stephens' Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys stephensi Narrow-faced Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys venustus Caribbean Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys anomalus Southern Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys australis Desmarest's Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys desmarestianus Gaumer's Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys gaumeri Nelson's Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys nelsoni Mountain Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys oresterus Panamanian Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys adspersus Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys irroratus Painted Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys pictus Salvin's Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys salvini Jaliscan Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys spectabilis Owyhee River Kangaroo Mouse - Microdipodops megacephalus Soda Spring Valley Kangaroo Mouse - Microdipodops pallidus White-eared Pocket Mouse - Perognathus alticolus Arizona Pocket Mouse - Perognathus amplus Olive-backed Pocket Mouse - Perognathus fasciatus Plains Pocket Mouse - Perognathus flavescens Silky Pocket Mouse - Perognathus flavus San Joaquin Pocket Mouse - Perognathus inornatus Los Angeles Little Pocket Mouse - Perognathus longimembris Great Basin Pocket Mouse - Perognathus merriami Great Basin Pocket Mouse - Perognathus parvus

Species Around the World

Location Key
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North/Central America South America NH Species

Little Desert Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus arenarius
Narrow-skulled Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus artus
Bailey's Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus baileyi
California Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus californicus
Dalquest's Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus dalquesti
Chihuahuan Desert Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus eremicus
San Diego Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus fallax
Long-tailed Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus formosus
Goldman's Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus goldmani
Hispid Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus hispidus
Rock Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus intermedius
Lined Pocket Gopher - Chaetodipus lineatus [dd]
Nelson's Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus nelsoni
Desert Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus penicillatus
Sinaloan Pocket Gopher - Chaetodipus pernix
Baja Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus rudinoris
Spiny Pocket Mouse - Chaetodipus spinatus
Agile Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys agilis
California Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys californicus
Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys compactus
Desert Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys deserti
Texas Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys elator
San Quintin Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys gravipes
Heermann's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys heermanni
Giant Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys ingens
San Jose Island Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys insularis
Margarita Island Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys margaritae
Merriam's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys merriami

Houserock Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat -Dipodomys microps
Nelson's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys nelsoni
San Joaquin Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys nitratoides
Ord's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys ordii
Panamint Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys panamintinus
Phillip's Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys phillipsii
Dulzura Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys simulans
Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys spectabilis
Stephens' Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys stephensi
Narrow-faced Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys venustus
Caribbean Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys anomalus
Southern Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys australis
Desmarest's Spiny Pocket Mouse-Heteromys desmarestianus
Gaumer's Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys gaumeri
Nelson's Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys nelsoni
Paraguaná Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys oasicus
Mountain Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys oresterus
Ecuadoran Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys teleus
Panamanian Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys adspersus
Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys irroratus
Painted Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys pictus
Salvin's Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys salvini
Jaliscan Spiny Pocket Mouse - Liomys spectabilis
Owyhee River Kangaroo Mouse-Microdipodops megacephalus
Soda Spring Valley Kangaroo Mouse - Microdipodops pallidus
White-eared Pocket Mouse - Perognathus alticolus
Arizona Pocket Mouse - Perognathus amplus
Olive-backed Pocket Mouse - Perognathus fasciatus
Plains Pocket Mouse - Perognathus flavescens
Silky Pocket Mouse - Perognathus flavus
San Joaquin Pocket Mouse - Perognathus inornatus
Los Angeles Little Pocket Mouse - Perognathus longimembris
Great Basin Pocket Mouse - Perognathus merriami
Great Basin Pocket Mouse - Perognathus parvus

Additional Information

Resource Key
Profile Photos Video Audio

Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys spectabilis
The banner-tailed kangaroo rat is found in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Desert Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys deserti
The desert kangaroo rat is found in(Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and Mexico.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Giant Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys ingens
The giant kangaroo rat is found in the San Joaquin Valley in California.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Nelson's Spiny Pocket Mouse - Heteromys nelsoni
The Nelson's spiny pocket mouse is found in Guatemala and Mexico.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Heteromyidae - kangaroo rats, pocket mice

New Hampshire Species

North/Central American Species

North/Central American Species

Species Around the World

Additional Information

Explore the Natural World - Local & National PBS Video