This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

My attitude seems to change daily, sometimes in the very next hour.  Please pardon my windy breath, cold touch, hot temperament, and moist fingers.  Who am I?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

One of North America’s most curious creatures is the diminutive kangaroo rat, which lives in the dry and semi-arid deserts and grasslands.

Here are a few quick facts about the kangaroo rat:

• Body length:  about 4-6 inches
• Tail length:  about 7-8 inches
• Weight:  about 5 ounces
• Diet:  seeds, leaves, stems, grains, fruit (herbivores)
• Lifespan:  averages 3-5 years

As one of the smallest of rodents, the kangaroo rat is related to mice and rats.  It is sometimes called the desert rat.  It possesses a large head with big eyes and small ears.  Usually its color is a sandy brown.

Being called a “kangaroo” rat, the nearly 20 different species borrow some characteristics from the Australian kangaroo.  Equipped with long rear limbs with four toes, they are able to hop like tiny kangaroos.  They also use their muscular hind legs to drum the ground.  

Being most active at night, the kangaroo rat benefits from the cooler temperature as well as using the darkness to avoid interactions with predators, such as owls, snakes, bobcats, foxes, badgers, and coyotes.  Its ability to hop up to 9 feet proves to be another asset in its necessary defense from predators.

Males and females remain separate except during during the breeding season.  Each kangaroo rat acts quite territorial as it protects its burrows and food storage.  The underground burrows provide an escape from the heat of the sun, and its kangaroo-like pouches in its large checks act as an efficient way to carry food back to store.

The life cycle of the kangaroo rat allows for breeding once or twice each year.  The gestation period lasts for 3-4 weeks.  Litters of pups average about five in number.  Pups are weaned after 2-3 weeks, and they reach sexual maturity in about 2-3 months.

top left and moving clockwise:  close-up of mature kangaroo rat, a series of underground burrows are nestled in the hillside’s sandy-like soil, a kangaroo rat entering a burrow, notice the length of the tail in contrast with the body size of the kangaroo rat, and a kangaroo rat preparing to hop.  (Images courtesy of Pinterest)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

The weather