Julie Russell, age 12, of Dardanelle, Ark., for her question:

WHAT IS A KANGAROO RAT?

A kangaroo rat is a tiny animal that hops around on powerful hind legs. He's about 15 inches long, including his 8 inch tail. He has short front legs, a large head and big eyes. Although he doesn't look like a kangaroo, he does hop like one.

You'll find the kangaroo rat living on the Southwestern deserts of the United States. He gathers plant food at night and uses his small front feet to stuff food into fur lined pouches on the outside of his cheeks. He then carries the food back to his underground burrow.

Kangaroo rats do not drink water. They use the water that is produced when the food inside them combines with the oxygen they breathe.

Related to squirrels, mice and rats, the kangaroo rat is a rodent.