Кенгуру́ – ро́д се́верноамерика́нских грызуно́в.

Genus of mammals belonging to the kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, and pocket mice family of rodents

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 or five toed heteromyid rodents with big hind legs, small front legs, and relatively large heads. Adults typically weigh between 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. and reportedly up to 9 feet (2.75 m)
at speeds up to almost 10 feet/sec, or 10 km/h (6 mph). They can quickly change direction between jumps. They are sensitive to extreme temperatures and remain in their burrows during rain storms and other forms of inclement weather. They prefer areas of stony soils, including clays, gravel, and rocks, which are harder than soils preferred by some other species (like banner tailed kangaroo rats). They do this in part by lowering their metabolic rate, which reduces the loss of water through their skin and respiratory system. Evaporation through the skin is the major route of loss. Merriam's kangaroo rats obtain enough water from the metabolic oxidation of the seeds they eat to survive and do not need to drink water at all. In contrast, banner tailed kangaroo rats have more specific habitat requirements for desert grasslands with scattered shrubs; this species is also more threatened because of the decline in these grasslands. These are also dry areas but they tend to have more water available to them than Merriam's kangaroo rats.

Kangaroo rats are primarily seed eaters. To conserve energy and water, they minimize their time away from their cool, dry burrows. In addition, maximizing time in their burrows minimizes their exposure to predators. Different species of kangaroo rat may have different seed caching strategies to coexist with each other, as is the case for the banner tailed kangaroo rat and Merriam's kangaroo rat which have overlapping ranges. This is initially done close to the food source, maximizing harvest rates and reducing travel costs, but later redistributed more widely, minimizing theft by other rodents. They do cluster together in some feeding situations. Groups of kangaroo rats that exist are aggregations and colonies. Linear dominance hierarchies appear to exist among males but it is not known if this is the case for females. During droughts and food shortages, only a few females will breed. Banner tailed kangaroo rats mate on mounds and the more successful males chase away rival males. The gestation period of kangaroo rats lasts 22–27 days. The young are born in a fur lined nest in the burrows. They are born blind and hairless. For the first week, young Merriam kangaroo rats crawl, developing their hind legs in their second or third week. At this time, the young become independent. Banner tailed kangaroo rats are weaned between 22 and 25 days. Offspring remain in the mound for 1 6 more months in the maternal caches.