Kangaroo Rats

CALIFORNIA’S Morro Bay kangaroo rats are on the list of endangered species. They thrive in desert areas, sleeping through the hot days in their deep, cool burrows, and foraging at night. They cram their cheek pouches full of seeds and store them in underground chambers. These sun-dried seeds supply all the water they need—their digestive systems break down the fats and carbohydrates and oxidize them to form H2O (water). They can live without drinking, and usually do. Their kidneys reclaim water that most other animals lose. These little squirrel-like rodents (they’re not rats at all) have long hind legs that shoot them along the ground at 17 feet (5 m) a second, and send them soaring into the air nine times their length. But these fascinating little creations of God are dying out in Morro Bay. Man’s “progress” is destroying their habitat.