The chisel-toothed kangaroo rat, Dipodomys microps, occurs throughout much of the Great Basin. In Utah, the species may be found in the western part of the state, in desert valleys with sparse vegetation and loose soils. Chisel-toothed kangaroo rats are active year-round and are chiefly nocturnal. Inactive periods of the day are spent in underground burrows, which are usually constructed in sandy soils near the bases of shrubs.

Females give birth to a single litter of one to four young during the spring. Chisel-toothed kangaroo rats eat seeds, leaves, and sometimes insects. When food is plentiful, it is stored in underground burrows. Individuals are usually solitary and rarely live longer than one year.