7/19/11 Merriam's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami). I'm free!!!! Yeah!!!
In the summer of 2011, we had a rodent infestation in our fruit orchards, so we set some cruelty free mouse traps out there and lo and behold, found this little guy in one of them. Anyhoo, we released him into a box, and then set him free shortly thereafter, but not before taking a few photos.
Merriam's are smallish with 4 toes on their kangaroo-like hind legs and considered one of the most widespread of K-rats in California. Their diet consists of seeds only, from which they derive all of their H20 (i.e., they don't need to drink any water). And, yes, they do hop like kangaroos. None of that typical, scurrying, mousy stuff.
7/19/11 In the box, right before we let him go hoppin' boing boing boing FREEEEEE!
7/24/10 Kangaroo Rat caught on the critter cam (where it says 'mouse') hanging out with the bunnies during a summer evening of Bunnypalooza.
7/24/10 K-rat on critter cam with tail on high, to the left of the peach tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment