We came across this dead rodent while hiking one of the many mountain bike trails that crisscross the Chihuahuan Desert foothills of Tortugas Mountain. I am not a biologist, but I think this is a Kangaroo Rat--so named because it uses its powerful rear legs to hop like a kangaroo. This rodent can live without water, getting all the moisture it needs to survive from the plant seeds that it consumes.
This particular photo of the flank of Tortugas Mountain and the Organ Mountains in the background had a somewhat impressionist feel to it--so here it is.
1 comment:
I find it odd that a dead rat would be lying in the open like that. I was under the impression that they are a popular snack food for larger animals.
Do you think it ate some poison and keeled over?
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