Dipodomys spectabilis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	HETEROMYIDAE

Scientific Name:

Dipodomys spectabilis

Species Authority

Merriam, 1890

Common Name/s:

English

–

Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat, Phillips's Kangaroo Rat

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Linzey, A.V., Timm, R., Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T., Frey, J. & Lacher, T.

Evaluator/s:

McKnight, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team) & Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority)

Justification:
Listed as Near Threatened because it is probably in significant decline (but probably at a rate of less than 30% over ten years) due to widespread degradation of its desert grassland habitat through much of its range, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable under criterion A2c.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species has a disjunct distribution. The northern portion of its range is from north-eastern Arizona, northern New Mexico, and far western Texas (USA), southward to northern Sonora and Chihuahua (Mexico). The southern portion of its range is in central Mexico, primarily in Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosi states.
Countries:	Native: Mexico; United States
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species can be locally common.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Desert grasslands with scattered shrubs. However, these kangaroo rats disappear when invasive shrub cover exceeds 20%. Thus, their presence is an indicator of the health of desert grasslands (Krogh et al. 2002; Waser and Ayers 2003).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Degradation of desert grasslands, with replacement by mesquite or creosote bush communities, is a major threat (Whitford 1997). Declines in some areas correspond with increases in the density of woody plants associated with grassland degradation. Heavy rains associated with tropical storms possibly may impact seed stores and cause major population declines.

Major Threat(s):

Degradation of desert grasslands, with replacement by mesquite or creosote bush communities, is a major threat (Whitford 1997). Declines in some areas correspond with increases in the density of woody plants associated with grassland degradation. Heavy rains associated with tropical storms possibly may impact seed stores and cause major population declines.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None.

Conservation Actions:

None.

Citation:	Linzey, A.V., Timm, R., Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T., Frey, J. & Lacher, T. 2008. Dipodomys spectabilis. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 November 2008.
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