# First person – Katrina Moore

## TL;DR

This paper explores how body condition and sex affect the exploratory behavior of desert kangaroo rats, offering insights for wildlife conservation.

## Contribution

The study reveals new behavioral patterns in desert kangaroo rats influenced by body condition and sex.

## Key findings

- Body condition significantly influences exploratory behavior in desert kangaroo rats.
- Sex differences were observed in how kangaroo rats respond to environmental contexts.
- These findings can inform better conservation strategies for desert wildlife.

## Abstract

First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Biology Open, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Katrina Moore is first author on ‘
Beyond the burrow: Body condition and sex influence exploratory behavior in desert kangaroo rats (Dipodomys deserti)’, published in BiO. Katrina is a PhD candidate in the lab of Dr Monica Daley at UC Irvine, Irvine, USA, investigating how wildlife behaviour changes across different contexts and how these insights can guide effective conservation strategies.