Produced by David Starner, Sigal Alon and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BULLETIN No. 1091 Also Technical Bulletin No. 1 of the Agricultural Experiment Station University of Arizona Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER September 13, 1922 LIFE HISTORY OF THE KANGAROO RAT _Dipodomys spectabilis spectabilis_ Merriam BY CHARLES T. VORHIES, Entomologist Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arizona; and WALTER P. TAYLOR, Assistant Biologist Bureau of Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture CONTENTS Importance of Rodent Groups 1 Identification 3 Description 5 Occurrence 7 Habits 9 Food and Storage 18 Burrow Systems, or Dens 28 Commensals and Enemies 33 Abundance 36 Economic Considerations 36 Summary 38 Bibliography 40 [Illustration] WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1922 [Illustration: PLATE I.--Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys spectabilis spectabilis Merriam). From _Dipodomys merriami_ Mearns and subspecies, which occur over much of its range, this form is easily distinguished by its larger size and the conspicuous white brush on the tail.] UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BULLETIN No. 1091 Also Technical Bulletin No. 1 of the Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arizona Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER September, 1922 LIFE HISTORY OF THE KANGAROO RAT, _Dipodomys spectabilis spectabilis_ Merriam. By CHARLES T. VORHIES, _Entomologist, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arizona_; and WALTER P. TAYLOR, _Assistant Biologist, Bureau of Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture_. CONTENTS. Page