Population Ecology of Banner-Tailed Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys spectabilis) in a Chihuahuan Desert Grassland at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico (2005-2009)

From March 2005-Februaury 2009, a population of banner-tailed kangaroo rats was monitored using mark-recapture methods. All active kangaroo rat mounds on the 18-ha Nunn Flats site were trapped monthly. All captured individuals were marked and reproductive status and mass were recorded. From February to July 2008 a subset of adult females received supplemental food. This dataset was collected to observe the survivorship, reproduction, and dispersal of banner-tailed kangaroo rats in response to changes in resources and density. Both observational and experimental methods were used to observe how ecological constraints affected juvenile dispersal.