Recent interactions with snakes enhance escape performance of desert kangaroo rats (Rodentia: Heteromyidae) during simulated attacks

Comparison of anti-snake displays in the sympatric desert rodents Xerospermophilus tereticaudus (round-tailed ground squirrels) and Dipodomys deserti (desert kangaroo rats)

Several lineages of small mammals frequently preyed upon by snakes have evolved snake-specific signals and displays that they use in an attempt to deter predation. Although detailed studies have been conducted on the form and function of these behaviors in a few key species, limited work has been done that directly compares behaviors between species, and none that we know of between species of ...

First Record of Fleas (insecta: Siphonaptera) from Nelson's Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys Nelsoni (rodentia: Heteromyidae) in Durango, Mexico

Postpartum and lactational estrus: a comparative analysis in rodentia.

Virgin rodents exhibiting cycling estrus have traditionally been used for comparative studies of reproductive behavior. However estrus occurs in other life-history contexts, some of which differ from cycling estrus (CE) in that (a) the female is disposed to behave both maternally and sexually and (b) they result in litter overlap (i.e., the simultaneous gestation and lactation of two litters). ...

Rattlesnakes are extremely fast and variable when striking at kangaroo rats in nature: Three-dimensional high-speed kinematics at night

Predation plays a central role in the lives of most organisms. Predators must find and subdue prey to survive and reproduce, whereas prey must avoid predators to do the same. The resultant antagonistic coevolution often leads to extreme adaptations in both parties. Few examples capture the imagination like a rapid strike from a venomous snake. However, almost nothing is known about strike perfo...

Behavioural modulation of predation risk: moonlight avoidance and crepuscular compensation in a nocturnal desert rodent, Dipodomys merriami

The temporal and spatial distribution of above-ground activity in Merriam's kangaroo rats, Dipodomys merriami, radio-tracked during 10 winters varied in relation to phases of the moon. At the full moon, animals were more likely to be found in their day burrows at scheduled hourly radio fixes, and when they emerged, they stayed closer to home. At partial moon phases, above-ground activity was pr...