Dipodomys ornatus
Dipodomys ornatus, commonly known as the ornate kangaroo rat or plateau kangaroo rat, is a species of kangaroo rat in the family Heteromyidae. Found in Mexico, Dipodmys ornatus was originally thought to be a subspecies of Phillips's kangaroo rat, D. phillipsi, and was described as such in 1894 by Clinton Hart Merriam. It was recognized as a subspecies until 2012.
Throughout Mexico, D. ornatus is found in primarily central areas; Aguascalientes, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas. They are located in areas with cacti, namely the prickly pear species, along with catclaw.
Description
Members of the species Dipodomys ornatus exhibit sexual dimorphism in that males and females vary in size, with the males being marginally longer; in both genders, the species' black and white and somewhat long tail can be compared to its body, which is mostly colored like cinnamon. It is four-toed on its hindfeet, and, on average, it is medium-sized compared to other kangaroo rat species.