Kangaroo Rats Relocated to New Digs

They are small, nocturnal creatures, rarely seen by the average person, but a San Diego Zoo field biologist makes a living searching for the 4-inch-long Stephen’s kangaroo rat. Recently, 41 of these endangered rodents were released at a reserve in Riverside County as part of a project aimed at saving this endangered species.

Donning night vision goggles or carrying radio antennas for observations, a team from the Zoo is developing a new method of moving, or translocating, the Stephen’s kangaroo rat from areas where development or non-native predators could kill it.

“At the San Diego Zoo, we have projects all over the world, but this is an endangered species right in our own backyard. I like to think of them as charismatic mini-fauna,” said Debra Shier, Ph.D., a field scientist with the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research. “Many species in their ecosystem depend on the Stephen’s kangaroo rat for their survival.”

Found only in Riverside and San Diego counties, this tiny rodent, weighing only 62 grams, plays a vital role in its environment by dispersing native plant seeds and digging burrows used as shelter by lizards, amphibians and other small rodents. Shier has observed that areas where the kangaroo rat is no longer found have seen an increase in exotic plants overtaking native species.

Since the Stephen’s kangaroo rat continues to be displaced by loss of habitat, Shier began to study kangaroo rat behavior to develop a plan for successfully translocating animals to reserves. The first group, made up of 54 animals, was moved in 2008 and has since reproduced, producing four generations of kangaroo rats.

In 2009, more than 100 kangaroo rats were relocated after being fitted with diminutive radio transmitters on their backs so that researchers can monitor the success of the animals. They are monitored daily in the first month, then weekly for two additional months.

Work with the Stephen’s kangaroo rat is just one of the many local conservation research projects being conducted by the San Diego Zoo. The Zoo is also involved in conservation work with the California condor, pacific pocket mouse and mountain yellow-legged frog.

The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. The organization focuses on conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife and maintains accredited horticultural, animal, library and photo collections. The Zoo also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, which includes a 900-acre native species reserve, and the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research. The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.