How big does a Heermann’s kangaroo rat get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Heermann’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni) reaches an average size of 11.1 cm (0′ 5″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 2.33 years, they grow from 3 grams (0.01 lbs) to 63 grams (0.14 lbs). Talking about reproduction, Heermann’s kangaroo rats have 3 babies about 2 times per year. The Heermann’s kangaroo rat (genus: Dipodomys) is a member of the family Heteromyidae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
Heermann’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. Their long smooth pelage resembles typical kangaroo rats, with their dorsal side showing a mixed range of olive, black and orange colors. There are 9 distinguished sub-species of Dipodomys heermanni: D.h. arenae, D.h. berkeleyensis, D.h. dixoni, D.h. goldmani, D.h. heermanni, D.h. jolonensis, D.h.morroensis, D.h. swarthi, and D.h. tularensis. The dental formula of Dipodomys heermanni is 1.0.1.31.0.1.3 × 2 = 20.It is considered “broad-faced”, unlike many other species of kangaroo rats, which are considered to be “narrow-faced”. It has five toes on each hind foot, and this small characteristic is important in distinguishing it from similar species such as Dipodomys californicus and Dipodomys nitratoides. Additionally it is smaller than Dipodomys ingens, Dipodomys venustus, and Dipodomys elephantinus.Heermann’s kangaroo rat averages a total length of 250–313 mm (9.8–12.3 in), with their tail measuring 160–200 mm (6.3–7.9 in), their hind foot measuring 38–46 mm (1.5–1.8 in), and their ear measuring 10–17 mm (0.39–0.67 in). Additionally when looking at all standard external measurements it has been found they demonstrate significant sexual dimorphism.
Animals of the same family as a Heermann’s kangaroo rat
We found other animals of the Heteromyidae family:
- Trinidad spiny pocket mouse with 2 babies per litter
- Little pocket mouse with 4 babies per litter
- Dark kangaroo mouse with a size of 7.2 cm (0′ 3″)
- Margarita Island kangaroo rat with a size of 9.4 cm (0′ 4″)
- Gaumer’s spiny pocket mouse with a size of 11.6 cm (0′ 5″)
- Goldman’s spiny pocket mouse with a weight of 85 grams
- Agile kangaroo rat with 2 babies per litter
- Painted spiny pocket mouse with a size of 11.4 cm (0′ 5″)
- San Quintin kangaroo rat with a size of 12.9 cm (0′ 6″)
- Narrow-faced kangaroo rat with a size of 12.6 cm (0′ 5″)
Animals with the same size as a Heermann’s kangaroo rat
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Heermann’s kangaroo rat:
- Umboi tube-nosed fruit bat with a size of 9.3 cm (0′ 4″)
- Pseudoryzomys with a size of 12.9 cm (0′ 6″)
- Northern Luzon shrew-rat with a size of 10.5 cm (0′ 5″)
- Himalayan mole with a size of 12.2 cm (0′ 5″)
- Transandinomys bolivaris with a size of 11.6 cm (0′ 5″)
- Bank vole with a size of 10.6 cm (0′ 5″)
- Shrew gymnure with a size of 11.7 cm (0′ 5″)
- Woodford’s fruit bat with a size of 8.9 cm (0′ 4″)
- Taiwan vole with a size of 12.4 cm (0′ 5″)
- Short-tailed gymnure with a size of 13.2 cm (0′ 6″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Heermann’s kangaroo rat
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (3) as a Heermann’s kangaroo rat:
- Tullberg’s soft-furred mouse
- Southern flying squirrel
- Greater hedgehog tenrec
- Cape York rat
- Thick-tailed three-toed jerboa
- Cheetah
- Nicobar shrew
- Chestnut climbing mouse
- Chiriqui brown mouse
- Swamp rabbit
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Heermann’s kangaroo rat
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Heermann’s kangaroo rat:
- Australian swamp rat with an average maximal age of 2.42 years
- Northern short-tailed shrew with an average maximal age of 2.75 years
- Lesser white-toothed shrew with an average maximal age of 2.67 years
- Eastern harvest mouse with an average maximal age of 2.17 years
- Wongai ningaui with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Common opossum with an average maximal age of 2.67 years
- Woodland vole with an average maximal age of 2.75 years
- Fawn antechinus with an average maximal age of 2.25 years
- Asian house shrew with an average maximal age of 2.5 years
- Müller’s giant Sunda rat with an average maximal age of 2 years
Animals with the same weight as a Heermann’s kangaroo rat
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Dipodomys heermanni:
- Mindomys bringing 60 grams to the scale
- Issel’s groove-toothed swamp rat bringing 60 grams to the scale
- Melanomys zunigae bringing 53 grams to the scale
- Transandinomys bolivaris bringing 60 grams to the scale
- Pittier’s crab-eating rat bringing 69 grams to the scale
- Oecomys flavicans bringing 73 grams to the scale
- Abyssinian grass rat bringing 73 grams to the scale
- Melanomys robustulus bringing 53 grams to the scale
- Togo mouse bringing 55 grams to the scale
- Arends’s golden mole bringing 52 grams to the scale