Comments on Movements, Home Range and Ecology of the Texas Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys elator merriam

Roberts, J; Packard, Robert L.

doi:10.2307/1379090

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Perhaps the relatively firm compaction of surface clay inhibits initiation of a burrow, but when clay is encountered at lower depths (below clay loam or loam on the surface), burrow construction continues because of the kangaroo rat already making an initial investment and the clay providing good structural support for the burrow. Texas kangaroo rats can burrow to a depth of at least 45 cm (Roberts and Packard 1973). Regardless of the mechanics and energetics of burrowing, the presence of clay-loam or loam soils and the lack of a restrictive feature are very good indicators of where D. elator might exist.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…No one has ever recorded more than 20 D. elator individuals from a single location at a single time. Roberts and Packard (1973) captured 18 individuals at a site in Wichita County in May 1966. Martin (2002) reported live-trapping 19 individuals from a 2-ha property in Hardeman County in 1987 (unreported month).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This map identified areas having suitable soil and land cover for D. elator. We obtained information on suitable soil and land-cover types from previous field studies of the species (Dalquest and Collier 1964;Martin andMatocha 1972, 1991;Roberts and Packard 1973;Stangl et al 1992;Martin 2002;Goetze et al 2007;Nelson et al 2013). We included any land-cover type that was predominately grassland or shrubland (i.e., land-cover types without a complete woody canopy) and any soil type composed of clay, clay loam, or loam of a sufficient depth (at least 50-cm depth to a restrictive feature) for burrowing and not prone to flooding.…”

Section: Development Of a Potential Habitat Mapmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Texas kangaroo rat Dipodomys elator has a very restricted geographic distribution and it may have experienced population declines and range contraction in the past century (Jones et al 1988;Martin 2002;Nelson et al 2013). Moreover, the species is a habitat specialist, particularly with regard to preferred soil type (Dalquest and Collier 1964;Roberts and Packard 1973;Martin and Matocha 1991), and it exists in a region that has experienced widespread landscape transformation due to expanding agriculture, particularly crop farming and elimination of prairie dog colonies. To some extent, these anthropogenic activities may have resulted in the loss of habitat that exacerbated population declines.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Compared with the habitat preferences of other kangaroo rat species, D. elator is atypical in its use of clay-based soils (rather than sand and sandy loam) for burrowing, although it also will use a few loamy soils (Dalquest and Collier 1964;Roberts and Packard 1973;Martin and Matocha 1991). Initial accounts and studies of the species indicated an association with mesquite Prosopis glandulosa shrubs (Bailey 1905), particularly with regard to burrows being dug at the base of shrubs (Dalquest and Collier 1964).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mapping Potential Habitat and Range-Wide Surveying for the Texas Kangaroo Rat

Ott

Veech

Simpson

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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The Texas kangaroo rat Dipodomys elator is considered a species of conservation concern by state and federal agencies. There have been a limited number of sightings in only seven counties in northern Texas during the past 30 y. The apparent decline of the species has been attributed to habitat loss due to increasing conversion of natural areas into cropland. The magnitude and exact cause of the decline are difficult to determine because of insufficient data on the distribution of the species and its habitat within its relatively small geographic range. Habitat studies have focused on the microhabitat of burrows rather than a coarser-scale identification of habitat and its distribution within the species' historic range. Multiple species of Dipodomys have demonstrated strong associations with certain soil and land-cover types. Therefore our goal was to develop a range-wide map of potential habitat on the basis of the association of D. elator with specific soil and land-cover types. We used the map to guide roadside surveys and also updated the map with information on D. elator distribution obtained during the surveys. Over the course of two summers (2016 and 2017) we documented D. elator at 138 separate point locations in five counties. A geographic information system-based analysis of soil and land-cover data revealed that the species is associated with clay-loam and loam soils and mixed-grass/shortgrass prairie. We also found an unexpected association with cropland, although we do not know the exact extent to which D. elator actually uses cropland. The surveys provide an updated assessment of the species distribution and the maps of potential habitat indicate areas where the species may still exist.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Development Of a Potential Habitat Mapmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Mapping Potential Habitat and Range-Wide Surveying for the Texas Kangaroo Rat

Ott

Veech

Simpson

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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Efficacy of remote sensing technologies for burrow count estimates of a rare kangaroo rat

Stuhler,

Portillo‐Quintero,

Goetze

et al. 2024

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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Effective management of rare species requires an understanding of spatial variation in abundance, which is challenging to estimate. We tested the efficacy of high‐resolution imagery to detect burrows of the Texas kangaroo rat (TKR; Dipodomys elator) as a means of estimating abundance across its geographic range. Specifically, we estimated burrow counts using an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to collect data from very high‐resolution Red–Green–Blue (RGB) imagery and estimate digital elevation (2.5‐mm pixel resolution) over active and inactive burrows located on mesquite mounds and anthropogenic features (roadsides, fences, etc.). In 2018, we identified 26 burrow locations on a private ranch in Wichita County, Texas, USA, and characterized burrows based on topography and vegetation density. We found that TKR burrows can only be identified with data of <5 cm pixel resolution, thus eliminating the possibility of using high‐resolution imagery data currently available for Texas. Alternatively, we propose that the use of National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery at 0.5‐ and 0.6‐m pixel resolution, in combination with resampled digital elevation data, can provide an effective means for identifying potential TKR burrow locations at the county level. We present 3 different approaches at the county and local scale that combine topographic and vegetation fractional cover information using a weighted overlay approach. The modeling approaches have strong predictive capabilities and can be integrated with UAS data for visual confirmation of active and inactive burrows. We concluded that very high‐resolution imagery and topographic information at pixel resolutions <5 cm collected by airborne systems can effectively help locate active TKR burrows. However, to remain cost effective, upscaling to the county level will require reducing the sampling area to the most suitable habitat. Modeling approaches, such as those proposed in this study, can help effectively locate these sampling areas.

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Influence of roads on the endangered Stephens' kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi): are dirt and gravel roads different?

Brock

Kelt

2004

Biological Conservation

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Comments on Movements, Home Range and Ecology of the Texas Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys elator merriam

Cited by 21 publications

References 12 publications

Mapping Potential Habitat and Range-Wide Surveying for the Texas Kangaroo Rat

Mapping Potential Habitat and Range-Wide Surveying for the Texas Kangaroo Rat

Efficacy of remote sensing technologies for burrow count estimates of a rare kangaroo rat

Influence of roads on the endangered Stephens' kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi): are dirt and gravel roads different?

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