Friday, June 23, 2023

HOORAH, THE SANTA CRUZ KANGAROO RAT IS IN FACT ALIVE

By Bob Walsh



It is a thing to rejoice over.  The Santa Cruz Kangaroo Rat, long thought to be extinct, was actually just hiding really well.  For 75 years.  The little critter has been discovered in the Sierra Azul Preserve in San Jose.  Researchers have been actively looking for the little buggers for years.  They are only known to live in two areas, the other being the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton.  They are considered to be a keystone species due to their interaction with the foliage in the area.

They are sort of unusual in that they do not need access to water to survive.  They get all the water intake they need from the foliage they eat.

With the closure of salad bars due to Covid the research scientists can't just buy them gift cards for Mountain Mike's or Round Table, so they have to make their own way in the world.  Bummer. 

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