Occurrence of ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys Ordii) along its eastern distributional limit in Nebraska

Changes in land use continue to alter habitats throughout Nebraska, and few studies have examined how such changes affect distributional limits of mammals. The distribution of Orel's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii) was last examined in eastern Nebraska about 4 decades ago. We examined the current eastern distributional limits of D. ordii to see whether its range had expanded, contracted, or remained constant in the state since the 1960s. Based on our study, kangaroo rats have experienced little change in distribution during recent decades. Herein, we report on data for 8 counties without prior records and a marginal range extension, as well as comment on habitat, reproduction, and taxonomic status of kangaroo rats in eastern Nebraska.