NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Stephens' kangaroo rat
Dipodomys stephensi (Merriam, 1907)
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
Stephens's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to the Southern California region of the United States, primarily in western Riverside County. The species is named after American zoologist Frank Stephens (1849–1937).
The natural habitat of Stephens's kangaroo rat is sparsely vegetated temperate grassland. This habitat has been destroyed or modified for agriculture throughout the species' range; as a result, Stephens's kangaroo rat is listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It occurs sympatrically with the agile kangaroo rat, but tends to prefer few shrubs and gravelly soils to the agile's preference for denser shrubs.
Wikipedia contributors, Stephens's kangaroo rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:48:44.582588+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Dipodomys stephensi (Merriam, 1907)
- Name authority
- (Merriam, 1907)
- Common name
- Stephens' 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 stephensi (Merriam, 1907)
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 |
| California Kangaroo RatDipodomys californicus Merriam, 1890 | 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 |
| Narrow-faced Kangaroo RatDipodomys venustus (Merriam, 1904) | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Perodipus stephensi Merriam, 1907 Merriam, 1907 | synonym |
| Dipodomys cascus Huey, 1962 Huey, 1962 | synonym |
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=180247 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:36PN9. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.