Hello all! Welcome to the page where you will learn all about the Dipodomys elator, better known to as the Texas Kangaroo Rat. This little guy is becoming a threatened species in Texas so I would like to give you a little bit of information about him.
This animal is a vertebrate mammal that belongs to the Eukarya domain and the Animalia kingdom. It is truly adorable and very pleasant to look at. They are usually light colored with an undercoat of black. 
The Dipodomys elator lives in a hotter places that have clay like soil that it can construct its' home in near the mesquite trees. You can locate this creature in the North America in the North-central counties of Texas in the mesquite grasslands.
He feeds by gathering oats, grass, seeds, and other easily obtainable plants and vegetables. Because of their predators and the environment, he will store food throughout the year to save for scarce times. They can turn some of the seeds that they eat into water. [image source: http://museum.utep.edu/desertdiary/espanol/dipomerr.jpeg]
Bioprospector's could find this animal as a good source of information because of the food that they consume. They are always trying to find new sources of medicine and cures, and they could see the way that they are affected by what they eat.
The Dipodomys elator is losing his home due to the destruction of the land where he lives or because of deforestation. This deforestation also contributes to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which we know is causing global warming. Not only is their home being demolished, but they are losing their sources of food because the plants around them are not the quality that they need.
As of today, they are considered a threatened animal according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Because of the land being cultivated in that area, there is nowhere that they can find suitable to make their nests. The state keeps clearing their habitat which makes them even more vulnerable to predators.
They are nocturnal animals and they do not come outside unless it is pitch black. Their most dangerous predators include the bob cat, snakes, and owls. This makes it even harder for them when they do not have anywhere to go because of the clearing of their land. They hop on their hind feet to move around from place to place and their tail acts as a balancer.
Now you know a little bit about this cute miniature sized kangaroo rat. Hopefully you will tune into the next episode that we will be hosting. Have a great day!
References:
The Website for Everything
Author unknown. August 19, 2005. Kangaroo Rat's.
http://veganmomma.com/blog/2005/08/19/kangaroo-rats/
Downloaded June 10, 2008.
Texas Parks and Wildlife. April 11, 2007. Texas Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys elator)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/kanrat/
Downloaded June 10, 2008
JSTOR. September, 1990. Status of the Texas Kangaroo Rat.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3671959
Downloaded June 10, 2008.
The Mammals of Texas. unknown date. Texas Kangaroo Rat.
www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/dipoelat.htm
Downloaded June 10, 2008.
