| The Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat has chisel-shaped lower
incisors, with which it strips the epidermis from the leaves of
desert shadscale or saltbush, thereby reaching the palatable and
water-rich interior of the leaf. This Kangaroo Rat eats more
leaves than seeds, which is unusual for the genus. Its ability
to subsist on perennial shrubs gives it an advantage when the
climate does not support the growth of herbaceous vegetation.
The species is common across the Great Basin of the western
United States, and is also known as the Great Basin Kangaroo
Rat. Also known as: Great Basin Kangaroo Rat, Small-faced
Kangaroo Rat, Inyo Pocket Rat Males are larger than females.
Merriam, C.H., 1907. Descriptions of ten new kangaroo rats, p.
77. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington,
20:75-80. Mammal Species of the World Click here for The
American Society of Mammalogists species account