As the sun drops in the Mojave desert the ground can come alive with native creatures who spend most of their daytime hours underground. One of the most charismatic and iconic of these dwellers is the kangaroo rat – a small rodent with large back feet and a long tail. They are unique to the Mojave and have adapted to the arid environment by living off seeds, and getting nearly all the moisture they require from that diet alone. They are also excellent listeners as they can detect the silent swoop of a hunting owl or approaching snake, and their reaction times are quicker than many of the predators that stalk them.
The San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat is a subspecies that exists in approximately 3200 acres of habitat – ranging from the San Bernardino Valley to Menifee Valley in Riverside County. According to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, areas they live include the historical floodplain along the upper Santa Ana River wash and San Jacinto River. They have been listed as endangered since 1998, and face ongoing threats such as habitat loss and climate change.
At the Fish and Game Commission meeting today the commission will consider – no pun intended – ratifying the findings on the decision to list the San Bernardino kangaroo rat as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act.
The Fish and Game Commission is also responsible for the decision to list the Western Joshua Tree as a threatened species. The San Bernardino Kangaroo rat is just one of many items on the Fish and Game Commission agenda – you can find a link to it below:
