Small five-toed jerboa

Small five-toed jerboa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dipodidae
Genus: Scarturus
Species:
S. elater
Binomial name
Scarturus elater
Synonyms
List
  • Allactaga elater
  • Dipus elater

The small five-toed jerboa (Scarturus elater) is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus Scarturus, that has five digits.[1][2] They are hopping rodents of the rocky deserts in Asia.[1] 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.[3] The jerboa body length ranges from 5–15 cm and has a tail ranging from 7–25 cm.[4] 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.[5] These hopping rodents can reach a speed up to 48 km/h.[1] The forelimbs of the jerboa serve as a pair of hands for feeding, grooming, etc.[6] The male jerboa is usually larger in size and weight in comparison to the female jerboa.[5] The pelt of the jerboa is either silky or velvety in texture and light in color,[7] 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”.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e Shenbrot, G.; Tsytsulina, K.; Batsaikhan, N.; Avirmed, D.; Tinnin, D.; Sukhchuluun, G. & Lkhagvasuren, D. (2016). "Scarturus elater". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Scarturus elater (ASM Mammal Diversity Database #1001969)". Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  3. ^ Lagassé, Paul (2000) "Jerboa." in The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia UP.
  4. ^ "Jerboa (rodent)." Encyclopædia Britannica. .
  5. ^ a b Kirmiz, John P. (1962) Adaptation to Desert Environment; A Study on the Jerboa, Rat and Man. London: Butterworths. p. 17.
  6. ^ Kirmiz, John P. (1962) Adaptation to Desert Environment; A Study on the Jerboa, Rat and Man. London: Butterworths. p. 29.
  7. ^ Miljutin, A. (2008). "Trends of Specialisation in Rodents: The Five-toed Jerboas, Subfamily Allactaginae (Dipodoidea, Rodentia)". Acta Zoologica Lituanica. 18 (4): 228–239. doi:10.2478/v10043-008-0033-9.