Allactaga

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Allactaga
Temporal range: Late Miocene - Recent
Allactaga.JPG
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dipodidae
Subfamily: Allactaginae
Genus: Allactaga
F. Cuvier, 1836
Type species
Mus jaculus [1]
Species

Allactaga balikunica
Allactaga bullata
Allactaga firouzi
Allactaga hotsoni
Allactaga major
Allactaga severtzovi
Allactaga sibirica
Allactaga toussi

Contents

The genus Allactaga contains the five-toed jerboas of Asia. [2] They are small mammals belonging to the order of rodents. [3] [4] They are characteristically known as the hopping rodents of the desert and semi-arid regions. They have long hind feet, short forelimbs, and walk upright. [5] They have large ears in comparison to their body size and a large tail. The tail assists and serves as support when the jerboa is standing upright. [6] The jerboa body length ranges from 5–15 cm and has a tail ranging from 7–25 cm. [7] The "forelimbs of the jerboa serve as a pair of hands for feeding, grooming, etc." [8] Jerboas use their nose to burrow and push the dirt when looking for food. [9] The male jerboa is usually larger in size and weight in comparison to the female jerboa. [10] The pelt of the jerboa is either silky or velvety in texture and light in color, [9] the coloration helps camouflage into surroundings to avoid predators. All members of the genus have five toes except for a single species, the Four-toed Jerboa, Allactaga tetradactyla of Northern Africa.

Adaptation to desert conditions

Jerboas are adapted to live in deserts therefore are called xerocole animals. They are nocturnal and spend most of their day burrowed under sand to avoid the heat. [11] Burrowing under the sand, they evade the heat from the sun, minimizing water loss and avoiding dehydration. By decreasing activity during the day they require less water intake. The jerboas build large burrow systems, tunnels, to stay in during the day. These burrows have a higher moisture concentration than at the surface level and help reduce body water loss. [8] Specific species of jerboas plug burrow entrances with soil to retain moisture and keep hot air from entering burrows. [7] The pelt of the jerboa is usually light and sandy in color to reflect heat from the sun and reduce heat absorption. [12]

Social habits

Jerboas are highly social animals and require interactions with other jerboas. After nightfall, they congregate in large burrows and demonstrate intense activity. At the entrance of the burrow, each male jerboa leaves droppings to identify they are in the burrow. [13]

Diet

The hot temperature of the desert restricts the jerboas to search for food at nightfall, when the temperature is cooler. Diet varies by species, some feeding almost exclusively on vegetation and others are insectivores. They search for sprouting vegetation, roots, and/or dry grains. During autumn, jerboas are at their heaviest in preparation for hibernation. [9] Jerboas are not considered agricultural pest. [14]

Reproduction

The jerboa reproductive activity depends on the seasons. Similar to other hibernating animals, the mating season for jerboas is spring to summer. [15]

In captivity

Captured jerboas have lived up to two years outside of their natural habitat. In captivity, their life span is significantly reduced. Jerboas rely on social interactions with other jerboas. Additionally, their nature is to burrow in the sand, in captivity or as pets they died from stress if no sand is available.

Species

Genus Allactaga


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerboa</span> Family of rodents

Jerboas are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four-toed jerboa</span> Species of mammal

The four-toed jerboa is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus Scarturus that has four digits. Four-toed jerboas are native to Egypt and Libya. They live in coastal salt marshes and dry deserts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipodoidea</span> Family of rodents

Dipodoidea is a superfamily of rodents, also known as dipodoids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. This superfamily includes over 50 species among the 16 genera in 3 families. They include the jerboas, jumping mice, and birch mice. Different species are found in grassland, deserts, and forests. They are all capable of saltation, a feature that is most highly evolved in the desert-dwelling jerboas.

The Iranian jerboa is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and subfamily Allactaginae. They are characteristically known as hopping rodents and have only been found in a small population in Iran. Iranian jerboa are microhabitat specialist, they require a particular environment to provide them with specific conditions suitable for living.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser Egyptian jerboa</span> Species of rodent

The lesser jerboa is a small rodent of Africa and the Middle East. Its diet consists mainly of seeds and grasses.

The Balikun jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in arid areas of northwestern China and Mongolia. It eats green plants, plant roots, seeds, grasshoppers and beetles.

The Gobi jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in China and Mongolia. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and temperate desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small five-toed jerboa</span> Species of mammal

The small five-toed jerboa is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus Scarturus, that has five digits. They are hopping rodents of the rocky deserts in Asia. They have been found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. They have long hind feet, short forelimbs, and walk upright. The jerboa body length ranges from 5–15 cm and has a tail ranging from 7–25 cm. They have large ears in comparison to their body size and a large tail. The tail assists and serves as support when the jerboa is standing upright. These hopping rodents can reach a speed up to 48 km/hr. The forelimbs of the jerboa serve as a pair of hands for feeding, grooming, etc. The male jerboa is usually larger in size and weight in comparison to the female jerboa. The pelt of the jerboa is either silky or velvety in texture and light in color, the coloration helps camouflage into surroundings to avoid predators. "Its coloration varies from sandy or buff to dark russet or black with pale under parts and a white strip on the hip”.

The Euphrates jerboa is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus Scarturus. They are characteristically known as hopping rodents. They have been found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and also occurs very marginally in southeastern Turkey. The Euphrates jerboa's natural habitats are semi-deserts, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and hot deserts.

Hotson's jerboa or the Iranian jerboa, is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great jerboa</span> Species of mammal

The great jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. It mainly lives in deserts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern three-toed jerboa</span> Species of rodent

The northern three-toed jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is the only extant species within the genus Dipus. It ranges across Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, China and Mongolia. A common species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature rates it as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Egyptian jerboa</span> Species of mammal

The greater Egyptian jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and is possibly extinct in the Negev Desert of Israel. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, sandy shores, and arable land.

The dwarf fat-tailed jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. They mostly reside in desert environments which can explain their size. They go long periods of time without food and water, which means they need a lower metabolic rate, and can be a reason for their size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thick-tailed pygmy jerboa</span> Species of rodent

The thick-tailed pygmy jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in China, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and temperate desert. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is listed by the IUCN as being "least concern".

The Baluchistan pygmy jerboa or dwarf three-toed jerboa, is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is the only species in the genus Salpingotulus. Adults average only 4.4 cm (1.7 in) in head and body length, with the tail averaging 8 cm (3.1 in). Adult females weigh 3.75 g (0.132 oz). It is currently considered to be endemic to Pakistan. In the 1999 Guinness Book of Records, it was listed as tied for the smallest rodent in the world with the African pygmy mouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allactaginae</span> Subfamily of rodents

Allactaginae is a subfamily of rodents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williams's jerboa</span> Species of mammal

Williams's jerboa is a species of jerboas native to Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey.

Paradipodinae is a monotypic subfamily of Dipodidae, consisting solely of the comb-toed jerboa.

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. ↑ Holden, M. E. and G. G. Musser. 2005. Family Dipodidae. pp. 871–893 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
  3. ↑ Duff, A. and A. Lawson. 2004. Mammals of the World A Checklist. New Haven, Yale University Press.
  4. ↑ Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London.
  5. ↑ Lagassé, Paul. "Jerboa." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia UP, 2000. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 October 2013.
  6. ↑ Kirmiz, John P. Adaptation to Desert Environment; A Study on the Jerboa, Rat and Man. London: Butterworths, 1962. 17. Print.
  7. 1 2 "Jerboa (rodent)" Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 12 October 2013.
  8. 1 2 Kirmiz, John P. Adaptation to Desert Environment; A Study on the Jerboa, Rat and Man. London: Butterworths, 1962. 29. Print.
  9. 1 2 3 Miljutin, Andrei. "Trends of Specialisation in Rodents: The Five-Toed Jerboas, Subfamily Allactaginae (Dipodoidea, Rodentia)." Acta Zoologica Lituanica 18.4 (2008): 228-39. Taylor & Francis Online. 23 July 2012. Web. 7 October 2013.
  10. ↑ Kirmiz, John P. Adaptation to Desert Environment; A Study on the Jerboa, Rat and Man. London: Butterworths, 1962. 19. Print.
  11. ↑ Hearst, Michael, and Jelmer Noordeman. "Unusual Creatures: A Mostly Accurate Account of Some of the Earth's Strangest Animals". San Francisco Chronicle, 2012. Print.
  12. ↑ Rundel, Philip Wilson; Gibson, Arthur C. (30 September 2005). "Adaptations of Mojave Desert Animals". Ecological Communities And Processes in a Mojave Desert Ecosystem: Rock Valley, Nevada. Cambridge University Press. pp. 132–138. ISBN   9780521021418.
  13. ↑ Kirmiz, John P. Adaptation to Desert Environment; A Study on the Jerboa, Rat and Man. London: Butterworths, 1962. 30. Print.
  14. ↑ Ercüment, Colak. "Ecology and Biology of Allactaga Elater, Allactaga Euphratica and Allactaga Williamsi (Rodentia: Dipodidae) in Turkey." Archived December 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Tr. J. Zool. (1996): 105. Tr. J. Zool.. Web. 3 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Janati, A., and R. Talbi. "Distribution and Seasonal Variation in Hypothalamic RF-amide Peptides in a Semi-Desert Rodent, the Jerboa." Journal of Neuroendocrinology 25 (2013): 402-11. Print.
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