NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
California Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys californicus Merriam, 1890
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The California kangaroo rat (Dipodomys californicus) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. However, populations are declining, having not fully recovered after the drought in California from 2013 to 2015 destroyed their habitat (the grasslands) and changed it into desert.
Wikipedia contributors, California kangaroo rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:10:44.359241+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Dipodomys californicus Merriam, 1890
- Name authority
- Merriam, 1890
- Common name
- California Kangaroo Rat
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Heteromyidae
- Genus
- Dipodomys
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderCastorimorpha A. E. Wood, 1955
- familyHeteromyidae Gray, 1868
- subfamilyDipodomyinae Gervais, 1853
- genusDipodomys Gray, 1841
- speciesDipodomys californicus Merriam, 1890
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Dipodomys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Agile Kangaroo RatDipodomys agilis Gambel, 1848 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Desert Kangaroo RatDipodomys deserti Stephens, 1887 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Texas Kangaroo RatDipodomys elator Merriam, 1894 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Merriam's Kangaroo RatDipodomys merriami Mearns, 1890 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chisel-toothed Kangaroo RatDipodomys microps (Merriam, 1904) | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nelson's Kangaroo RatDipodomys nelsoni Merriam, 1907 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ord's Kangaroo RatDipodomys ordii Woodhouse, 1853 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Phillips' Kangaroo RatDipodomys phillipsii Gray, 1841 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dulzura Kangaroo RatDipodomys simulans (Merriam, 1904) | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Banner-tailed Kangaroo RatDipodomys spectabilis Merriam, 1890 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Stephens' kangaroo ratDipodomys stephensi (Merriam, 1907) | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Narrow-faced Kangaroo RatDipodomys venustus (Merriam, 1904) | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=180234 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:36PMK. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.