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Definition 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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Examples of kangaroo rat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web For example, a kangaroo rat will act very lazy if fed regularly.
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Stephanie Preston, The Conversation, "Your brain evolved to hoard supplies and shame others for doing the same," 27 Mar. 2020 The commission’s action provides interim protection for the San Bernardino kangaroo rat until a final decision is made on listing within the next year, officials said.
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Los Angeles Times, "This rat is foiling developers’ plans to capitalize on a weaker Endangered Species Act," 22 Aug. 2019 In the other eight instances, the kangaroo rats leapt and kicked their way to freedom.
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Jason Bittel, National Geographic, "‘Ninja' rat kicks snake in midair in amazing slo-mo video," 5 Apr. 2019 Sidewinder rattlesnakes sit in the sands, still as stone—just waiting for one of their favorite prey, the kangaroo rat, to wander too close.
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Jason Bittel, National Geographic, "‘Ninja' rat kicks snake in midair in amazing slo-mo video," 5 Apr. 2019 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "California researchers accidentally find 'feisty' rodent thought to have gone extinct 30 years ago," 20 Apr. 2018
See MoreThese 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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The first known use of kangaroo rat was in 1867
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