User:JustinBieber18/Morro Bay kangaroo rat

Description
The Morro Bay kangaroo rat subspecies is unique to Baywood fine sands, a soil type found in Morro Bay, Los Osos, and Montana de Oro State Park on the Central Coast of California. This subspecies can be typically distinguishable from its smaller size and darker fur color compared to its counterparts.Their burrows enter the ground at an angle. These burrows range from about 6ft to 10ft. They include a room in which they nest and store food.

The Morro Bay subspecies is the smallest of all subspecies. The male is measured to be 300.4 mm while the females are about 295.1 mm long.

Their primary food is seeds.

Dipodomys heermanni morroensis have 2 to 3 litters a year. In each litter they have between one and seven pups, but the average amount of pups per litter is two. They are born with no hair, eyes and ears closed, and toothless.

Endangered and Missing
The Morro Bay kangaroo rat is federally endangered. Their population has declined greatly because of urbanization and the continuous growth of woody plants that disturb the habitat of the Morro Bay kangaroo rat.

However, in 1982 plans have been implemented by the California department of Fish and Game towards recovery efforts of this species by centering focus on improving areas where the Morro Bay kangaroo rat would live by thinning vegetation. This would help the species move easily underground when creating the burrows.