SINCE 1828
kangaroo rat
nounDefinition of kangaroo rat
: any of a genus (Dipodomys) of nocturnal burrowing rodents of arid parts of western North America that travel by hopping on their long hind legs and have a long tail and fur-lined cheek pouches
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Contrary to previous assumptions, the San Quintín kangaroo rat is not extinct after all, according to a press release from the San Diego Natural History Museum. — Marissa Fessenden, Smithsonian, "This Kangaroo Rat Was Just Spotted For the First Time in 30 years," 1 May 2018 So biologists couldn't believe their eyes when not one, but four San Quintin kangaroo rats (Dipodomys gravipes) hopped into their survey traps in 2017. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Supposedly extinct kangaroo rat resurfaces after 30 years," 30 Apr. 2018 San Diego animals like the Arroyo toad and the Stephens’s kangaroo rat can greatly benefit from long-term monitoring. — Cliff Kapono, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego Zoo studies return of the giant panda," 6 July 2018 The San Quintin kangaroo rat was last spotted in 1986. — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "California researchers accidentally find 'feisty' rodent thought to have gone extinct 30 years ago," 20 Apr. 2018 But last summer, researchers from the museum captured four San Quintín kangaroo rats during routine surveys. — Marissa Fessenden, Smithsonian, "This Kangaroo Rat Was Just Spotted For the First Time in 30 years," 1 May 2018 Some species, like the kangaroo rat, can survive without drinking water for years by obtaining it instead from its food. — Theresa Laverty, Smithsonian, "Where Clean Drinking Water Is Hard To Find, Bats Could Lead the Way," 2 May 2018 The last time anyone saw the San Quintin kangaroo rat was more than 30 years ago, in the arid scrublands of Baja California, Mexico. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Supposedly extinct kangaroo rat resurfaces after 30 years," 30 Apr. 2018 He and friends drove backcountry roads looking for amphibians after a rain, and collected kangaroo rats with baseball caps. — Deborah Sullivan Brennan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Natural History Museum plans biodiversity blitz," 6 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kangaroo rat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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