Open Existence Think open source applied to life.

We recently built a 25 ft x 20 ft play pen for the dogs to hang out in for the summer. We used 6 ft T posts and 4 ft tall 1/2 inch hardware cloth to keep the rattlesnakes out. I dug a 6 inch trench all the way around and buried the fence in the ground. To eliminate any possibility of something getting in. This morning I woke up and there is a kangroo rat in the corgi playpen. The gate isn't really finished, so I figure it must have slipped in at the gate. You never see them during the day. They have the biggest eyes, big back feet like a kangaroo. They get their name from the fact that when running from predators, they hop over the brush in 5-6 ft leaps. Using their long tail for balance. Some species actually have a fur lined pouch which they use to carry seeds in while out collecting. Kangaroo Rat: With their big eyes and feet, the kangaroo rate has to be the cutest rat around. The kangaroo rat is a master of desert survival. They eat dry seeds and somehow their bodies make water when digesting their food. This metabolic water is all they need to survive. How is that for adaptation! They are never seen drinking water. They are the only mammal that neither sweats nor pants. The kangaroo rat is purely a nocturnal animal. I see them all the time when I drive in at night. They dart and hop across the drive way trying to avoid the car. They live and sleep in burrows during the day. Blocking the entrances off to keep the hot, dry air out. Kangaroo Rat by the fence: The kangaroo rat is little too big to fit through the 1/2 hardware cloth that the fence is made with. Their tale is super long, measuring in at about 1 1/2 times their body length. It is used for balance and steering during their long hops. Their main defence against snakes and other predators is too kick sand in their face with their hind legs.