Dipodomys heermanni (Heerman's Kangaroo Rat)
about the species
Heermann’s kangaroo rat is distributed from the East Bay to southern San Joaquin Valley and is ESA and CESA Endangered. Historically, this subspecies occupied roughly 4 square miles south of Morro Bay, but has since been reduced to a small fraction of that area. Human encroachment through development and agriculture has led to the loss of much of the available habitat for these species.
why species was selected
Investigating genomic diversity within Heermann’s and other kangaroo rats will elucidate variation in some extremely reduced populations. Genomic tools will shed light on the remaining diversity, potentially of great use for management decisions, including in closely related species of conservation concern.
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