"The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works." Psa. 145:9.
There are sixteen known species of this funny little animal in the western United States and Canada, in addition to several kangaroo mice, which are its cousins. They are fun to watch, particularly if you could see them playing in the moonlight. They nest and live in burrows under trees or fallen logs, but in the desert they make their homes in the sand.
Its name describes it well, since it looks very much like a miniature kangaroo and hops about in much the same way, resting on its tail from time to time. It is one of God's creatures which is active at night and is seldom seen in daylight. But this is not without danger since snakes, coyotes, foxes and other animals that are also active at night find it a tasty meal whenever they catch it.
However, God has given it an unusual defense against such enemies. With long and powerful hind legs it' makes long leaps, gliding through the air. Its tail, which is extra long with a powderpuff of hair on the end, acts as a rudder in these leaps. By twisting it one way or the other it can change its direction in mid-air. This makes it difficult to catch for those animals who are chasing it.
An unusual feature of this long-legged rodent is that it never drinks water, even though it lives in such hot places as Death Valley. Yet its blood has the same proportion of water that is found in other animals. Several things account for this. Being active only at night keeps it from losing moisture by evaporation in the sun's heat. Also, it never sweats or pants, which aids in conserving moisture.
But the real answer is that it actually manufactures water for itself through a body chemistry peculiar to it alone. Water, as we know, is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. Starch from the seeds it eats contains a supply of hydrogen and the air it breathes is rich in oxygen. Through a complex process God has given it, the chemical plant inside its body puts these together to make water.
The kangaroo rat, made by its Creator, is also cared for by Him even though it is active only at night. The Bible tells us, "Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee." Psa. 139:12.
This is a serious thought for us, too. Hagar proclaimed "Thou God seest me," (Gen. 16:13) and David prayed to God saying, "my sins are not hid from Thee." (Psa. 69:5). But when walking in obedience he proved the Lord's lovingkindness and then could say, "The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. 0 Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee." (Psa. 84:11,12). Is your trust in God, too?