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Jerboa

Jerboas (from Arabic: جربوع jarbūʻ ) are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia,[1] and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts.[1]

Jerboa
Temporal range: Middle Miocene–recent
Scarturus tetradactylus
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Dipodoidea
Family: Dipodidae
Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
Subfamilies

When chased, jerboas can run at up to 24 km/h (15 mph).[1] Some species are preyed on by little owls (Athene noctua) in central Asia. Most species of jerboas have excellent hearing that they use to avoid becoming the prey of nocturnal predators. The typical lifespan of a jerboa is around 2–3 years.[2]

Taxonomy edit

Jerboas, as previously defined, were thought to be paraphyletic, with the jumping mice (Zapodidae) and birch mice (Sminthidae) also being classified in the family Dipodidae. However, phylogenetic analysis split all three as distinct families, leaving just the jerboas in Dipodidae and revealing them to be a monophyletic group.

Anatomy and body features edit

Jerboas look somewhat like miniature kangaroos, and have some external similarities. Both have long hind legs, short forelegs, and long tails. Jerboas move around in a similar manner to kangaroos, which is by hopping, or saltation. However, their anatomy is more attuned towards erratic hopping locomotion, making use of sharp turns and great vertical leaps to confuse and escape predators, rather than for sustained hopping over long periods of time. It has been found that when executing their vertical leaps primary tendons in the hindlimbs only recovered and reused on average 4.4% of energy contributed to the jump, lower than many hopping animals.[3]

Like other bipedal animals, their foramen magnum—the hole at the base of the skull—is forward-shifted, which enhances two-legged locomotion.[4] The tail of a jerboa can be longer than its head and body, and a white cluster of hair is commonly seen at the end of the tail. Jerboas use their tails to balance when hopping, and as a prop when sitting upright. Jerboa fur is fine, and usually the colour of sand. This colour usually matches the jerboa habitat (an example of cryptic colouration).[1][2] Some species of the jerboa family have long ears like a rabbit, whilst others have ears that are short like those of a mouse or rat.

Behavior edit

The bipedal locomotion of jerboas involves hopping, skipping, and running gaits, associated with rapid and frequent, difficult-to-predict changes in speed and direction, facilitating predator evasion relative to quadrupedal locomotion. This may explain why evolution of bipedal locomotion is favored in desert-dwelling rodents that forage in open habitats.[5]

Jerboas are most active at twilight (crepuscular).[6] During the heat of the day, they shelter in burrows. At night, they leave the burrows due to the cooler temperature of their environment. They dig the entrances to their burrow near plant life, especially along field borders. During the rainy season, they make tunnels in mounds or hills to reduce the risk of flooding. In the summer, jerboas occupying holes plug the entrance to keep out hot air and, some researchers speculate, predators.[1] In most cases, burrows are constructed with an emergency exit that ends just below the surface or opens at the surface but is not strongly obstructed. This allows the jerboa to quickly escape predators.

Related jerboas often create four types of burrows. A temporary, summer day burrow is used for cover while hunting during the daylight. They have a second, temporary burrow used for hunting at night. They also have two permanent burrows: one for summer and one for winter. The permanent summer burrow is actively used throughout the summer and the young are raised there. Jerboas hibernate during the winter and use the permanent winter burrow for this. Temporary burrows are shorter in length than permanent burrows. Just like other animals that hibernate, these creatures are heavier pre-hibernation specifically in ungrazed sites (Shuai). Also, more food availability during pre-hibernation contributes to larger jerboa body mass in ungrazed regions, and entices more jerboas to migrate to ungrazed areas during post-hibernation. Grazing negatively impacts the Jerboa pre- and post-hibernation population, but not the survival rate.[7][1][2]

Jerboas are solitary creatures. Once they reach adulthood, they usually have their own burrow and search for food on their own. However, occasional "loose colonies" may form, whereby some species of jerboa dig communal burrows that offer extra warmth when it is cold outside.[1]

Diet edit

Most jerboas rely on plant material as the main component of their diet, but they cannot eat hard seeds. Some species opportunistically eat beetles and other insects they come across. Unlike gerbils, jerboas are not known to store their food.[1]

Communication and perception edit

Many species within the family Dipodidae engage in dust bathing, often a way to use chemical communication. Their keen hearing suggests they may use sounds or vibrations to communicate.[2]

Reproduction edit

Mating systems of closely related species in the family Dipodidae suggest that they may be polygynous. For some closely related jerboa species, mating usually happens a short time after awaking from winter hibernation. A female breeds twice in the summer, and raises from two to six young. Gestation time is between 25 and 35 days. Little is known about parental investment in long-eared jerboas. Like most mammals, females nurse and care for their young at least until they are weaned.[2]

Classification edit

 
Skeleton of a jerboa

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Burton, Maurice; Burton, Robert (1970). The International Wildlife Encyclopedia. Marshall Cavendish. p. 1323. ISBN 978-0-7614-7266-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e Swanson, Nicole (2007). Yahnke, Chris (ed.). "Euchoreutes naso". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  3. ^ Moore, Talia Y.; Rivera, Alberto M.; Biewener, Andrew Austin (2017). "Vertical leaping mechanics of the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa reveal specialization for maneuverability rather than elastic energy storage". Frontiers in Zoology. 14: 32. doi:10.1186/s12983-017-0215-z. ISSN 1742-9994. PMC 5496339. PMID 28680452.
  4. ^ Russo, Gabrielle A.; Kirk, E. Christopher (2013). "Foramen magnum position in bipedal mammals". Journal of Human Evolution. 65 (5): 656–70. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.591.2458. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.07.007. PMID 24055116.
    • "Anthropologists confirm link between cranial anatomy and two-legged walking". Phys.org. 27 September 2013.
  5. ^ Moore, T. Y.; Cooper, K. L.; Biewener, A. A.; Vasudevan, R. (2017). "Unpredictability of escape trajectory explains predator evasion ability and microhabitat preference of desert rodents". Nature Communications. 8 (1): 440. Bibcode:2017NatCo...8..440M. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00373-2. PMC 5585173. PMID 28874728.
  6. ^ Feniuk, B. K.; Kazantzeva, J. M. (1937). "The Ecology of Dipus sagitta". Journal of Mammalogy. 18 (4): 409. doi:10.2307/1374331. JSTOR 1374331. ...Dipus sagitta is nocturnal and crepuscular in habits.
  7. ^ "Web of Science".

External links edit

  • Long Eared Jerboa caught on film BBC - retrieved 10 December 2007

jerboa, from, arabic, جربوع, jarbūʻ, hopping, desert, rodents, found, throughout, north, africa, asia, members, family, dipodidae, they, tend, live, deserts, temporal, range, middle, miocene, recent, preꞒ, nscarturus, tetradactylusscientific, classificationdom. Jerboas from Arabic جربوع jarbuʻ are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia 1 and are members of the family Dipodidae They tend to live in hot deserts 1 JerboaTemporal range Middle Miocene recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NScarturus tetradactylusScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder RodentiaSuperfamily DipodoideaFamily DipodidaeFischer de Waldheim 1817SubfamiliesAllactaginae Cardiocraniinae Dipodinae Euchoreutinae long eared jerboaWhen chased jerboas can run at up to 24 km h 15 mph 1 Some species are preyed on by little owls Athene noctua in central Asia Most species of jerboas have excellent hearing that they use to avoid becoming the prey of nocturnal predators The typical lifespan of a jerboa is around 2 3 years 2 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Anatomy and body features 3 Behavior 4 Diet 5 Communication and perception 6 Reproduction 7 Classification 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksTaxonomy editJerboas as previously defined were thought to be paraphyletic with the jumping mice Zapodidae and birch mice Sminthidae also being classified in the family Dipodidae However phylogenetic analysis split all three as distinct families leaving just the jerboas in Dipodidae and revealing them to be a monophyletic group Anatomy and body features editJerboas look somewhat like miniature kangaroos and have some external similarities Both have long hind legs short forelegs and long tails Jerboas move around in a similar manner to kangaroos which is by hopping or saltation However their anatomy is more attuned towards erratic hopping locomotion making use of sharp turns and great vertical leaps to confuse and escape predators rather than for sustained hopping over long periods of time It has been found that when executing their vertical leaps primary tendons in the hindlimbs only recovered and reused on average 4 4 of energy contributed to the jump lower than many hopping animals 3 Like other bipedal animals their foramen magnum the hole at the base of the skull is forward shifted which enhances two legged locomotion 4 The tail of a jerboa can be longer than its head and body and a white cluster of hair is commonly seen at the end of the tail Jerboas use their tails to balance when hopping and as a prop when sitting upright Jerboa fur is fine and usually the colour of sand This colour usually matches the jerboa habitat an example of cryptic colouration 1 2 Some species of the jerboa family have long ears like a rabbit whilst others have ears that are short like those of a mouse or rat Behavior editThe bipedal locomotion of jerboas involves hopping skipping and running gaits associated with rapid and frequent difficult to predict changes in speed and direction facilitating predator evasion relative to quadrupedal locomotion This may explain why evolution of bipedal locomotion is favored in desert dwelling rodents that forage in open habitats 5 Jerboas are most active at twilight crepuscular 6 During the heat of the day they shelter in burrows At night they leave the burrows due to the cooler temperature of their environment They dig the entrances to their burrow near plant life especially along field borders During the rainy season they make tunnels in mounds or hills to reduce the risk of flooding In the summer jerboas occupying holes plug the entrance to keep out hot air and some researchers speculate predators 1 In most cases burrows are constructed with an emergency exit that ends just below the surface or opens at the surface but is not strongly obstructed This allows the jerboa to quickly escape predators Related jerboas often create four types of burrows A temporary summer day burrow is used for cover while hunting during the daylight They have a second temporary burrow used for hunting at night They also have two permanent burrows one for summer and one for winter The permanent summer burrow is actively used throughout the summer and the young are raised there Jerboas hibernate during the winter and use the permanent winter burrow for this Temporary burrows are shorter in length than permanent burrows Just like other animals that hibernate these creatures are heavier pre hibernation specifically in ungrazed sites Shuai Also more food availability during pre hibernation contributes to larger jerboa body mass in ungrazed regions and entices more jerboas to migrate to ungrazed areas during post hibernation Grazing negatively impacts the Jerboa pre and post hibernation population but not the survival rate 7 1 2 Jerboas are solitary creatures Once they reach adulthood they usually have their own burrow and search for food on their own However occasional loose colonies may form whereby some species of jerboa dig communal burrows that offer extra warmth when it is cold outside 1 Diet editMost jerboas rely on plant material as the main component of their diet but they cannot eat hard seeds Some species opportunistically eat beetles and other insects they come across Unlike gerbils jerboas are not known to store their food 1 Communication and perception editMany species within the family Dipodidae engage in dust bathing often a way to use chemical communication Their keen hearing suggests they may use sounds or vibrations to communicate 2 Reproduction editMating systems of closely related species in the family Dipodidae suggest that they may be polygynous For some closely related jerboa species mating usually happens a short time after awaking from winter hibernation A female breeds twice in the summer and raises from two to six young Gestation time is between 25 and 35 days Little is known about parental investment in long eared jerboas Like most mammals females nurse and care for their young at least until they are weaned 2 Classification edit nbsp Skeleton of a jerboaFamily Dipodidae Subfamily Cardiocraniinae Cardiocranius Five toed pygmy jerboa Cardiocranius paradoxus Salpingotus Thick tailed pygmy jerboa Salpingotus crassicauda Heptner s pygmy jerboa Salpingotus heptneri Kozlov s pygmy jerboa Salpingotus kozlovi Pallid pygmy jerboa Salpingotus pallidus Thomas s pygmy jerboa Salpingotus thomasi Salpingotulus Baluchistan pygmy jerboa Salpingotulus michaelis Subfamily Dipodinae Dipus Northern three toed jerboa Dipus sagitta Eremodipus Lichtenstein s jerboa Eremodipus lichensteini Jaculus Blanford s jerboa Jaculus blanfordi Lesser Egyptian jerboa Jaculus jaculus Greater Egyptian jerboa Jaculus orientalis Stylodipus Andrews s three toed jerboa Stylodipus andrewsi Mongolian three toed jerboa Stylodipus sungorus Thick tailed three toed jerboa Stylodipus telum Subfamily Euchoreutinae Euchoreutes Long eared jerboa Euchoreutes naso Subfamily Allactaginae Allactaga Balikun jerboa Allactaga balikunica Gobi jerboa Allactaga bullata Iranian jerboa Allactaga firouzi Hotson s jerboa Allactaga hotsoni Great jerboa Allactaga major Severtzov s jerboa Allactaga severtzovi Mongolian five toed jerboa Allactaga sibirica Allactodipus Bobrinski s jerboa Allactodipus bobrinskii Pygeretmus Lesser fat tailed jerboa Pygeretmus platyurus Dwarf fat tailed jerboa Pygeretmus pumilio Greater fat tailed jerboa Pygeretmus shitkovi Scarturus Small five toed jerboa Scarturus elater Euphrates jerboa Scarturus euphraticus Four toed jerboa Scarturus tetradactylus Vinogradov s jerboa Scarturus vinogradovi Williams s jerboa Scarturus williamsi Subfamily Paradipodinae Paradipus Comb toed jerboa Paradipus ctenodactylusSee also editHopping mouse a similar murid rodent native to Australia an example of parallel evolution Jumping mouse a nondesert dwelling relative of jerboas in the family Zapodidae native to China and North America Kangaroo rat and kangaroo mouse similar heteromyid rodents native to North America an example of convergence Kultarr a marsupial with a similar body plan and coloration another example of convergence they use quadrupedal locomotion but their large aerial phases cause them to be confused with hopping mice Springhare a similar pedetid rodent native to southern and eastern AfricaReferences edit a b c d e f g h Burton Maurice Burton Robert 1970 The International Wildlife Encyclopedia Marshall Cavendish p 1323 ISBN 978 0 7614 7266 7 a b c d e Swanson Nicole 2007 Yahnke Chris ed Euchoreutes naso Animal Diversity Web Retrieved 4 January 2012 Moore Talia Y Rivera Alberto M Biewener Andrew Austin 2017 Vertical leaping mechanics of the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa reveal specialization for maneuverability rather than elastic energy storage Frontiers in Zoology 14 32 doi 10 1186 s12983 017 0215 z ISSN 1742 9994 PMC 5496339 PMID 28680452 Russo Gabrielle A Kirk E Christopher 2013 Foramen magnum position in bipedal mammals Journal of Human Evolution 65 5 656 70 CiteSeerX 10 1 1 591 2458 doi 10 1016 j jhevol 2013 07 007 PMID 24055116 Anthropologists confirm link between cranial anatomy and two legged walking Phys org 27 September 2013 Moore T Y Cooper K L Biewener A A Vasudevan R 2017 Unpredictability of escape trajectory explains predator evasion ability and microhabitat preference of desert rodents Nature Communications 8 1 440 Bibcode 2017NatCo 8 440M doi 10 1038 s41467 017 00373 2 PMC 5585173 PMID 28874728 Feniuk B K Kazantzeva J M 1937 The Ecology of Dipus sagitta Journal of Mammalogy 18 4 409 doi 10 2307 1374331 JSTOR 1374331 Dipus sagitta is nocturnal and crepuscular in habits Web of Science External links editLong Eared Jerboa caught on film BBC retrieved 10 December 2007 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jerboa amp oldid 1207223909, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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