Giant kangaroo rat  (Dipodomys ingens)

Population numbers of the giant kangaroo rat plummeted during the 20th Century (1), mainly as a result of habitat loss as desert areas were converted to agriculture (7). Over 95 percent of the former range of this species has been lost due to a combination of overgrazing, cultivation, mining operations and the introduction exotic plants (1).

This species is listed as Endangered by the California Fish and Game Commission and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (1). A Recovery Plan has been developed in an effort to secure the future survival of this species (8), and populations are protected within the Carrizo Plan Natural Heritage Reserve and a number of Federal lands (1).