Ord's Kangaroo Rat in South Dakota

Dipodomys ordii

Native to South Dakota S5 Secure in South Dakota

Not listed as nonindigenous in South Dakota by USGS NAS; native to its South Dakota range.

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: ecovore · CC BY 4.0Ord's kangaroo rat standing in profile, showing its huge hind feet and long tufted tailPhoto: Juan Cruzado Cortés · CC BY 4.0Ord's kangaroo rat pausing alert at night, whiskers and dark eye lit by flashPhoto: Dominic Alianelli · CC0Ord's kangaroo rat sitting upright in sandy scrub habitatPhoto: Without Borders · CC0Ord's kangaroo rat among low shrubs on open sandPhoto: CK2AZ · CC BY 4.0Ord's kangaroo rat standing on gravel, showing its big ears and hind feet

Ord's Kangaroo Rat in South Dakota, by the numbers

Rare in South Dakota 80th most recorded of 100 mammals logged in South Dakota

1 occurrence records

1 with iNaturalist photos

Sep 19, 2024 Last seen in South Dakota

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the Ord's Kangaroo Rat in South Dakota

Most sightings fall in September.

1 South Dakota occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly South Dakota records (table)

Month	Records
January	0
February	0
March	0
April	0
May	0
June	0
July	0
August	0
September	1
October	0
November	0
December	0

Monthly ord's kangaroo rat occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in South Dakota, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Sparse observation record in South Dakota; presence confirmed but timing of activity not well documented.

Occurrence map

Where Ord's Kangaroo Rat has been recorded in South Dakota

1 record mapped · zoom and drag to explore

1 South Dakota record mapped

Where it's recorded in South Dakota

County	Records
Custer County	1

The complete county distribution, spread across 1 South Dakota counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Ord’s kangaroo rat has a single South Dakota record since 2000, from Custer County, west of the Missouri River. Kangaroo rats need loose sandy soil they can dig and dust-bathe in, and the mixed-grass country south of the Badlands offers it in a way the state’s glaciated east never can.

That one report is dated September, far too little to show a season. A kangaroo rat is strictly nocturnal and spends the day sealed in its burrow, so a record usually means a trap line or a lucky set of headlights.

NatureServe ranks the species S5, secure in South Dakota, despite how thin the recent record is. Wherever the soil is sandy enough between the Pine Ridge country and the Grand River, this little kangaroo-like jumper seems to be holding its ground.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Full species profile Ord's Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys ordii Size 21–36.5 cm8.3–14.4 in Weight 50 g1.8 oz Lifespan Up to 9.9 yr View the full profile

More mammals in South Dakota in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries