Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ California Kangaroo Rat

Dipodomys californicus

Merriam, 1890

California Kangaroo Rat

G3Vulnerable Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104299
Element CodeAMAFD03070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilyHeteromyidae
GenusDipodomys
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly included as a subspecies of D. heermanni (Hall 1981), but differs enough in chromosomal and biochemical characteristics to warrant species status (Patton et al. 1976).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-07-06
Change Date2025-07-06
Edition Date2025-07-06
Edition AuthorsGundy, R. L. (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
This species is found in southern Oregon, northern Nevada, and northern California.
Range Extent Comments
This species is found in southern Oregon and northeast Nevada south through California to San Francisco Bay region, chiefly east of humid coastal region to foothills of Cascade Mountains and Sierra Nevada (Kelt 1988, Miles et al. 2020). Isolated subspecies eximius on Sutter (Marysville) Buttes may be extinct. Range extent is estimated to be 110,593 km² (GBIF 2025, RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
Applying a 5 km separation distance to GBIF (2025) records, 129 occurrences are estimated (RARECAT 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Information on threats is not available.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Well-drained soils of valley grasslands, open chaparral, and open foothill woodland. In underground burrow when inactive; burrows at base of shrub, under rock; may use grnd. squirrel burrow. Uses paths of other animals, trails, dirt roads.

Reproduction

Breeds mainly February-September, greatest activity February-April. Litter size is 2-4. May produce more than one litter annually (Kelt 1988).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS2Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
OregonS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Roadless Areas (4)
California (4)
AreaForestAcres
Callahan FlowModoc National Forest6,618
Dobie FlatModoc National Forest15,079
LavasModoc National Forest25,864
Mt. HoffmanModoc National Forest9,780
References (36)
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  3. Bartholomew, G. A., and H. H. Caswell. 1951. Locomotion in kangaroo rats and its adaptive significance. Journal of Mammalogy 32:155-169.
  4. Baumgardner, G. D., and M. L. Kennedy. 1993. Morphometric variation in kangaroo rats (genus <i>Dipodomys</i>) and its relationship to selected abiotic variables. Journal of Mammalogy 74:69-85.
  5. Baumgardner, G. D., and M. L. Kennedy. 1994. Patterns of interspecific morphometric variation in kangaroo rats (genus <i>Dipodomys</i>). Journal of Mammalogy 75:203-211.
  6. Blair, W. F. 1943. Populations of the deer mouse and associated small mammals in the mesquite associations of southern New Mexico. Contributions of the Laboratory of Vertebrate Biology, University of Michigan, No. 21. 40 pp.
  7. Bleich, V. C. 1977. <i>Dipodomys stephensi</i>. Mammalian Species No. 73:1-3.
  8. Bradford, D. F. 1976. Space utilization by rodents in <i>Adenostoma </i>chaparral. Journal of Mammalogy 57:576-579.
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  26. O'Farrell, M. J. 1978. Home range dynamics of rodents in a sagebrush community. Journal of Mammalogy 59:657-68.
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  34. Wilkins, K. T. 1982. Highways as barriers to rodent dispersal. Southwestern Naturalist 27: 459-460.
  35. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
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