OKR Description

What Does An Ord's Kangaroo Rat Look Like?

k rat picture photo of live mount by Shayna

The Ord’s Kangaroo Rat has light cinnamon-coloured fur with a white furred belly. It has white areas below the ears and above its eyes. It has a black stripe on its long tail. This tail helps it balance when it is hopping. It has big hind feet which help it defend itself, run on sand or snow, and make burrows. Each hind foot has 5 toes. It has extra-large eyes near the top of its rather big head. These eyes give the kangaroo rat good night vision and an ability to see predators coming from above it. It has sensory whiskers that may help it steer in its burrows and find food. It has rounded lower front teeth.

measurement length photo of study skin
The Ord’s kangaroo rat is an average-sized rodent. It weighs 43-70 grams. It is 20-36 centimetres in length.

tail mesurement photo of study skin

Its tail is 10-16 centimetres in length.

photo of study skin hind leg measurement

Its big back feet are about 4-4.5 centimetres long.
Because it lives in dry sandy areas, it is hard to find its tracks. When it moves slowly, its two front feet make small tracks between its two big feet, and its long tail leaves a line print in the sand. When it is hopping fast, only smaller back heel prints show up, and often there is no tail print made.