
Kangaroo rats are an important part of desert life. They are often eaten by other animals for the water in their bodies! The rats can run very fast, covering 6 meters in one second, to avoid their enemies. They use their long tails as rudders when jumping and can even change their course in mid-air. They move about by leaping, but with such an accuracy that They can jump over a cactus and land on top of a grass-hopper. Because of their long powerful legs and the strong tail which resemble those of the kangaroo they are called the kangaroo rats. But how do these survive without water? The Physiological structure of desert plants and animals is such that they need very little water to survive. So efficient are the kidneys of the kangaroo rat that it never has to dring water. All the liquid it needs is extracted from plants, roots and seed it eats. Yet it is enough to keep the kangaroo rat alive.
The Kangaroo rat's legs are proportionatelly very long as compated with other parts of the body. When two kangaroo rats fight, it appears as though they were fighting with sticks.
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