USFWS Releases Plan To Help Recover Endangered Rat Species
The following is courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
Recovery plan released for endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat
Dec 6, 2024
Carlsbad, Calif.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a final plan and implementation strategy to guide recovery of the San Bernardino kangaroo rat. The endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat is currently found in remnant portions of alluvial fan habitat in Lytle and Cajon creeks, and the Santa Ana and San Jacinto rivers in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, California.
The San Bernardino kangaroo rat is one of 19 recognized subspecies of Merriam’s kangaroo rat. This tiny mammal derives its name from large hind legs and feet that aid it in jumping. Kangaroo rats feed primarily on seeds, green vegetation, and insects.
The species requires a combination of floodplain and upland refugia habitats. The most pressing threat to the species is continued loss and fragmentation of these habitats, much of which have been lost or degraded by development; sand and gravel mining; off-road vehicle use; and alterations of natural hydrological processes.
Expanding the distribution and increasing population growth of the three remaining kangaroo rat populations is the primary goal of the recovery plan. Additionally, better connectivity is needed within each remaining population for kangaroo rats to recolonize suitable lowland habitat after flooding, minimize impacts from inbreeding, and maintain genetic diversity.
Delisting of the kangaroo rat will require conservation of adequate habitat among the three populations, along with long-term management to control nonnative grasses, and avoiding and minimizing other negative impacts to habitat.
“This recovery plan provides a roadmap that we and our partners can use to protect the species and its habitat with the overall goal of conservation and recovery of the San Bernardino kangaroo rat,” said Scott Sobiech, Field Supervisor for the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office. “Our partners are integral to the successful conservation of this species.”
Since its listing as endangered in 1998, some areas occupied by the kangaroo rat have been conserved through implementation of the Western Riverside County and the Santa Ana Wash habitat conservation plans, and the Cajon Creek and Lytle Creek conservation banks.
You can learn more about the San Bernardino kangaroo rat at this link.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information about our work and the people who make it happen, visit Pacific Southwest Region Headquarters or connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.
