Montana Field Guide

The Ord's kangaroo rat measures about 10 1/2 inches head to tail, with the tail comprising half or more of that length. It weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. In Montana, it is a dark cinnamon buff on top and pure white below (Foresman 2001). It has white patches above its eyes and at the base of its ears, and the extremely large hind feet are white with five toes (Zeveloff 1988). The tail appears to have four stripes, two dark top and bottom stripes, and two white side stripes. The lower stripe tapers to the end of the tufted tail. Like the jumping mice, the kangaroo rat has fur-lined cheek pockets for storing food, which open on each side of its mouth. At night its eyes appear to glow with a faded amber light. It has 20 teeth, the upper incisors having grooved faces. The lower incisors are rounded (Burt and Grossenheider 1964). Able to hear a rattlesnake coiling or an owl flying, the Ord's kangaroo rat uses fast, ricocheting jumps ruddered by its long tail to escape danger (Kritzman 1977).

Non-migratory.

Sandy areas along dry streams and on flats. Sage-grassland areas.

Granivorous--seeds of weeds, grasses, forbs. Insects in summer.

Transports food in cheek pouches. Removes contents by ap- plying pressure from shoulder against pouch. Plugs burrow door during day.

Difficult to predict breeding season for Montana. In NE Colorado, breeds Feb-Aug. 2-4 young/litter. Possibly similar in MT. 2 or more litters/season.