kangaroo rat

noun

1. any of various small jumping rodents of the family Heteromyidae, of Mexico and the western U.S.
2. an Australian desert rodent of the genus Notomys.

kangaroo rat

noun

1. any small leaping rodent of the genus Dipodomys, related to the squirrels and inhabiting desert regions of North America, having a stocky body and very long hind legs and tails: family Heteromyidae
2. Also calledkangaroo mouse any of several leaping murine rodents of the Australian genus Notomys

Word History and Origins

Origin of kangaroo rat¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Across the street from his property is open space, where he says he regularly sees owls and kangaroo rats among the grasses and native plants.

From Los Angeles Times

Wayne State University stuck flies on a “treadwheel” to force them to mimic climbing, while Washington State University put kangaroo rats on a treadmill to study how their feet interacted with unfamiliar terrain.

From Washington Times

The Santa Cruz kangaroo rat, more closely related to chipmunks and gophers than kangaroos or rats, had not been spotted in the area since the 1940s.

From Los Angeles Times

Conservationists rejoiced when California declared the San Bernardino kangaroo rat an endangered species.

From Los Angeles Times

The Santa Cruz kangaroo rat was for decades thought to exist only in a tiny pocket of sandhills in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County.

From New York Times