Narrow-faced kangaroo rat

The narrow-faced kangaroo rat (Dipodomys venustus) is one of almost 20 species of kangaroo rats, a rodent in the family Heteromyidae.^[2] It is endemic to California in the United States.^[1]

Narrow-faced kangaroo rat
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Heteromyidae
Genus:	Dipodomys
Species:	D. venustus
Binomial name
Dipodomys venustus (Merriam, 1904)

Like all other heteromyids, the dental formula of Dipodomys venustus is 1.0.1.31.0.1.3 × 2 = 20.^[3]

Narrow-faced kangaroo rats lives within chaparral, mixed chaparral, and on sandy soils with oak or pine. They are distributed along West-central California in the coastal mountains.^[4] They have been divided into three subspecies:

• Dipodomys venustus venustus (Santa Cruz kangaroo rat),^[5][6] which inhabit the Santa Cruz Mountains and Mount Hamilton range, the latter a central sub-range of the Diablo Range
• Dipodomys venustus elephantinus (Elephant-eared or big-eared kangaroo rat),^[5][6] which inhabit the Gabilan Range and southern Diablo Range
• Dipodomys venustus sanctiluciae (Santa Lucia kangaroo rat); which inhabit the Santa Lucia Range^[6]