Discovery of Santa Cruz kangaroo rat in Sierra Azul Preserve raises hopes for a unique and rare creature.
A rare Santa Cruz kangaroo rat was captured in Sierra Azul Preserve by Midpeninsula Open Space District wildlife biologists. For decades, an imperiled rodent was thought to exist only in a tiny pocket of sandhills in Henry Cowell State Park in Santa Cruz County – and nowhere else on Earth.
His 2019 discovery, confirmed in April when UC Santa Cruz wildlife biologists Gage Dayton and Summer Alinaeem trapped four live animals, is now being followed up by a much larger state-funded survey and genomic analysis. They’re lousy diggers, so they need loose and porous soil. They also depend on the seeds of the manzanita plant for food.
A kangaroo rat hadn’t been seen in that area since 1940. But the Sierra Azul Preserve is the most massive of Midpen’s open space lands, protecting more than 19,000 acres of wilderness — so Hickman sensed it could be potential habitat.“I loaded up my photos and saw all these kangaroo rats,” he said. “I had tears running down my face. It was basically a lightning strike.”
This April, wildlife biologists hiked through the preserve to set “Sherman traps,” metal box-style animal traps designed for the safe capture and release of small mammals. After three days of trapping, they only found four individuals, a reminder of just how rare Santa Cruz kangaroo rats are.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Wedding bells ringing at Santa Clara County’s new chapelSanta Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg officiated the first marriage ceremony at the new venue on Tasman Drive.
Read more »
Vikings Beat 49ers 22-17, San Francisco Reeling Going Into Showdown With BengalsCincinnati travels to Santa Clara to play the 49ers on Sunday
Read more »
Nearly $50,000 in deposits from Mason County Public Works goes missingHow does nearly $50,000 in deposits disappear into thin air?
Read more »
Nearly blind ex-inmate settles federal lawsuit against Pa. county, 2 guards for $362KRobert Santore contended he did not always get needed eye drops in Northumberland County Prison.
Read more »
Alleged charity scam leads to Santa Cruz County rooftop chasePolice arrested a 23-year-old Memphis, Tennessee, man over the weekend after he allegedly fled from the Capitola Mall and over the roof of a nearby business.
Read more »
A Gloucester County nursing home was fined nearly $200,000 for understaffing.The nursing home was fined for violating staffing standards on 196 days, regulators said.
Read more »