Elevated surface temperature depresses survival of banner-tailed kangaroo rats: will climate change cook a desert icon?Moses MR, Frey JK, Roemer GW.

Mitch MenesesApril 11, 2013

Objective

• To find out how the climate change would affect the survival of the banner-tailed kangaroo rat

• To find out whether the banner-tailed kangaroo rat would make a good model for exploring climate change for other desert animals

The banner-tailed kangaroo rat

The banner-tailed kangaroo rat• Scientific name: Dipodomys spectabilis• Also known as banner-tailed kangaroo rats

• Banner/stripe like pattern on the tail• Not actually a kangaroo (Marsupial)

• Natural habitats include the desert regions of Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

The banner-tailed kangaroo rat• Diet• Primarily seed eaters• Sometimes eats vegetation and insects

• Will store extra seeds

• Predators include• Coyotes• Foxes• Badgers• Weasels• Owls• Snakes

The banner-tailed kangaroo rat• Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico

Why look at kangaroo rats?• Kangaroo rats have many ways to survive in the desert heat• Has different ways of heat exchanging

• Nasal passages• Concentrated urine• Void dry feces

• Burrows• Burrows are typically cooler during the day• Kangaroo rats remain in their burrow to prevent water loss• Do scavenging and foraging at night

• Metabolism• Can break down seeds and convert it into water• Can conserve water by lowering metabolic rate• Reduces water loss through skin and respiratory system

Why look at kangaroo rats?

•With an increase of temperature in the desert regions, many species will be affected.

• Kangaroo rats have been able to live in such high temperatures, so it would be ideal to observe them.

Methods• Captured/recaptured 11 different populations of kangaroo rats• Did sampling May and June from 2004-2007

• Looked at • 4 populations for 4 years• 3 populations for 3 years • 4 populations for 2 years

• Placed traps near marked mounds• Laid traps at dusk, checked at dawn• Limited trapping to no more than 3 consecutive nights

• Measured for • Length• Weight• Age/Reproductive condition

• To measure land surface temperature, they used MODIS• Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellites

Potential environmental drivers

Results• Sampled 865 different kangaroo rats over the course of the

study• By using this kangaroo rats, they were able to model the

apparent survival of the rats• Models of apparent survival were based on various parameters

• Length• Weight• Age• Probability of recatpure• Time• Site of capture

In Conclusion• The data supports the negative effect of high land surface

temperature with respect to the apparent survival of D. spectablis

• The vegetative production that was lagged 1 year positively effects the apparent survival

• The actual landscape of the environment plays a role in survivability

• The banner-tailed kangaroo rat might make a good model for exploring climate change for other desert animals, but due to varying and averaging measurements, it is not quite possible to determine that at this point in time.

Is the kangaroo rat a “loser”?