What is a kangaroo rat?

Answer 1

Kangaroo rats are rodents. They are rat-like mammals with long tails and large feet like a miniature kangaroo. However, they are very much smaller than kangaroos, with Giant kangaroo rats having a body length of only 15cm (6 inches). Kangaroo rats are not even remotely related to kangaroos, or rat-kangaroos of Australia.

Kangaroo rats are members of the rodent family, not marsupials like kangaroos. They do not have pouches, and they do not live in Australia. Kangaroo rats are found in North America, and inhabit deserts and semi-arid grasslands. They do not need to drink water, obtaining most of their moisture needs from the seeds they eat. The Australian equivalent of kangaroo rats are known as native hopping mice, but they are not at all related either.

Answer 2

The rat kangaroo is a sub-species of kangaroo, and quite different to the kangaroo rat of North America. Found only in Australia (with some species found in New Guinea), the rat kangaroo is a marsupial, not a rodent like the kangaroo rat. There are several species of rat kangaroos, including the Rufous-rat kangaroo (the largest of the rat kangaroo species), the musky rat kangaroo (the smallest kangaroo of all), the desert rat kangaroo, potoroo and the bettong.