Dark kangaroo mouse

Description

The dark kangaroo mouse (Microdipodops megacephalus) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.It is found in California,Idaho,Nevada,Oregon and Utah in the United States.The dark kangaroo mouse (Microdipodops megacephalus),also known as Owyhee River kangaroo mouse,is named for its dark-furred back,long hind feet,and the way it moves around by hopping on its hind legs like Australian kangaroos.It belongs to the order Rodentia and Family Heteromyidae.Its head is large in comparison to its body size due to enlarged auditory bullae.It has a relatively short neck large ears,prominent eyes,a long snout,long whiskers and a fat,haired tail.The coat of dark kangaroo mouse is long,silky,and soft with its back being brownish to greyish black while its belly having a greyish or whitish hue.Its tail is swollen in the middle (fat deposits).The fat deposits vary in size as season changes because it is used as a source of energy during dormancy.The tails are thickest before entering winter hibernation and thin in the spring,when they come out of hibernation and assume normal activity.This is unique among North American small mammals.There is no sexual dimorphism shown in dark kangaroo mouse except for zymomatic breadth.Length of hind foot,cranial measurement,and mandibular length vary little while weight is highly variable in the population.The total length ranges from 138 to 177 mm with an average of 160 mm,length of tail: 68–103 mm,hind foot length: 23–27 mm,weight of adults ranges from 10 to 16.9 g with an average of 13.1 g.