Show Gnome Rat Is Relative of Common Kangaroo Rat The gnome rat is a close relative e I of the fairly common kangaroo rat of the West It lives only in a aery very ery limited area in southern Idaho and Nevada which is covered with wind wind- blown 1011 sand of a certain texture In this sand the rat burrows at the feet of rare bushes So fine is Its I adaptation to this peculiar pecullar environment where where hardly any other I mammal can live so that It Is fairly fair fair- ly free from enemies that enemies that it cannot exist in a region where the sand is isa isa isa a trifle coarser or finer Its feet and toes are arc heavily furred In other words it apparently wears sandshoes to keep it from sinking Into the drifts of fine sand These are much the same principle as snowshoes Another peculiarity according toa to toa toa a writer in the Washington Star is ts that living in a waterless desert i l It Jt carries water bottles around I 1 with it About the only food is tho the seed of a tiny shrub that is scattered scat scat- over this queer desert This shrub bears pods each of which contains a droplet of water The j gnome rat found this out gathers I the pods and carries them around in its check cheek pouch and even stores stares them for the winter so that it will I have water when needed Every now and then they are arc almost almost al al- al most completely wiped out by star star- They are strictly nocturnal in their habits remaining crouched in their burrows during the da day |