Agile kangaroo rat
| Agile kangaroo rat | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Heteromyidae |
| Genus: | Dipodomys |
| Species: | D. agilis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dipodomys agilis Gambel, 1848
| |
| Subspecies | |
| |
| IUCN Red List range map for Dipodomys agilis, Version 2021-2 | |
The agile kangaroo rat (Dipodomys agilis) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to southern California in the United States. In the 1980s, it was classified as monotypic, though later studies have recognized two subspecies.
Relatively little information has been published on the natural history, life history, ecology, or behavior of the agile kangaroo rat. The species appears to be part of the Californian kangaroo rat radiation, which is derived from a common ancestor with Ord's kangaroo rat. An observational study found distinct habitat differences between the agile and Stephens's kangaroo rats, with the agile preferring more shrubs and lighter soils.