You’re probably familiar with ninjas and you’re probably familiar with rats… but are you familiar with ‘ninja rats’? Check out this badass little guy, a kangaroo rat, avoid being a rattlesnake’s dinner with lightning-quick reactions, and epic jumping skills.
Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus Dipodomys, are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this mode of locomotion independently, like several other clades of rodents (e.g. dipodids and hopping mice).
Kangaroo rats are four-toed heteromyid rodents with big hind legs, small front legs, and relatively large heads. Adults typically weigh between 70 and 170 g. The tails of kangaroo rats are longer than both their bodies and their heads. Another notable feature of kangaroo rats is their fur-lined cheek pouches, which are used for storing food. The coloration of kangaroo rats varies from cinnamon buff to dark gray, depending on the species. There is also some variation in length with one of the largest species, the banner-tailed kangaroo rat being six inches in body length and a tail length of eight inches.
There’s a whole YouTube channel dedicated to capturing these creatures in extreme slow-mo. Super cool!
