Dipodomys nitratoides Merriam 1894

Dipodomys nitratoides Merriam 1894, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 9: 112.

Type Locality: USA, California, Tulare Co., San Joaquin Valley, Tipton.

Vernacular Names: San Joaquin Valley Kangaroo Rat.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Dipodomys nitratoides subsp. nitratoides Merriam 1894

Subspecies Dipodomys nitratoides subsp. brevinasus Grinnell 1920

Subspecies Dipodomys nitratoides subsp. exilis Merriam 1894

Distribution: S San Joaquin Valley, WC California (USA).

Conservation: U.S. ESA – Endangered as D. n. nitratoides and D. n. exilis. IUCN – Critically Endangered as D. n. exilis and D. n. nitratoides, Lower Risk (nt) as D. nitratoides and as D. n. brevinasus. California Dept. of Fish and Game - Endangered as D. n. exilis; D. n. nitratoides is of Special Concern; and D. n. brevinasus is California Fully Protected.

Discussion: Revised by Grinnell (1922) and reviewed by Best (1991, Mammalian Species No. 381) and Williams et al. (1993). Considered closely related to merriami, but clearly distinct based on morphological (e.g., baculum, Best and Schnell, 1974), chromosomal (Stock, 1974), and molecular (Johnson and Selander, 1971; Patton et al., 1976) characters.