Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rats are confined to barrier islands of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas and the nearby Texas mainland. No fossils of this species have been found, but because of features of its teeth and skull, scientists think it is the most primitive living species of kangaroo rat. Learn more about the Dipodomys compactus, more commonly known as a Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat, in this easy-to-read species overview by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.