On the underside of the toes of the hind foot of the upland jerboa there is a well-developed brush of long straight hairs (usually white). The tail banner is well developed. The front surface of the incisors is yellow (in all other three-toed jerboas it is white).

Molar teeth - (false root tooth is well developed). On the outer side of the parietal bones above the base of the zygomatic processes there is only a rounded bulge, without the formation of a sharp ridge or spike. The tops of both drum chambers are in contact with each other, but do not form a close connection between them. The mastoid bones are slightly swollen and, when viewed from above, do not form protrusions on the sides of its posterior part. Penis with two large stylized spines. Body length 105-130 mm, feet 60-65 mm, skull length 30.0-34.3 mm. The coloration of individuals from different points of the range ranges from relatively dark ocher-brownish or brownish-gray to pale ocher-sandy.

The upland jerboa is widespread in the sands of the extreme southeast of the European part of the USSR, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, northern Iran, Xinjiang, Mongolia and northeast China; in the northwest, the distribution reaches the Prikumsky sands in the eastern Ciscaucasia and the Volga-Don sands to the mouth of the river. Bears; in the Volga-Ural sands found north to Urda and along the river. Ural - to the latitude of Inderborsk; further, the northern border passes (approximately) through the Temir district of the Aktobe region, the sands of Bolshie Barsuki, Muyun-Kum, the sands of the Balkhash region and further northeast to the valley of the river. Irtysh (village Semiyarskoye) and to the ribbon forests of the Altai steppe (village Novenkoe, village Lokot and others of the Rubtsovsky district).

The upland jerboa is a typical inhabitant of hilly and dune sands; in the Rubtsovsky district Altai Territory found in the sands among pine forests. Burrows with 1-3 emergency exits, closed with sand plugs: wintering burrows are the most difficult and deep, which can reach a depth of 2.5 m.

It feeds on herbaceous plants, green twigs, flowers and fruits of sandy shrubs, in particular saxaul and kandym, also eats roots and bulbs, and, in addition, also partly feeds on insects. Easily climbs the bushes to get their twigs and fruits. The breeding period is extended (in the Volga-Ural sands up to 4 months), the number of cubs in the litter is 2-5. In the northern parts of the range (Volga-Ural sands) flows into hibernation, in the south (southern Kara-Kum) remains active throughout the winter.

The economic value is not great. In places it harms plantings of saxaul and other shrubs planted to fix the sands.

Subspecies of the upland jerboa: 1) D.s. nogai satun. (1907) - the color of the top is dull, brownish-gray with a slight admixture of ocher or reddish tones, the dimensions are relatively large; sands of eastern Ciscaucasia (valley of the Kuma river).

2) D.s. innae Fire. (1930) - brighter, ocher-reddish fur color; sands of the left bank of the lower Volga.

3)D.s. lagopus Lichtenstein (1823) - pale ocher-sand color of fur is characteristic: sands of Central Asia and southern Kazakhstan.

4) D.s. sagitta Pall. (1773) - a relatively dark ocher-brown color with an olive tint; sands of East Kazakhstan and southwestern Siberia (valley of the upper Irtysh, forests of the Pryaaltai steppe).

5) D.s. zaissanensis Selevin (1934) - similar to the previous form; distinguished by a brighter and rustier color of the back fur and a paler color of the black part of the banner; Zaisan basin, adjacent mountains of the Semipalatinsk region.

Big jerboa - bright representative kind of earth hares. This is a creation in the process of evolution and adaptation to its natural environment habitat has developed its own unique style of movement. In some areas, the large jerboa is on the verge of extinction, as its habitat is constantly shrinking due to human activities. Steppe reserves are almost the only refuge large populations these creatures.

Large jerboa - a bright representative of the genus of earthen hares

Apart from natural enemies, large jerboas have to constantly compete with other rodent species for food. Given their hidden lifestyle, many people have no idea what a jerboa looks like or where they live. Despite the fact that in the natural environment these small animals constantly face seemingly insurmountable difficulties, in some regions their number is rapidly increasing.

This animal is the largest representative of the genus of earthen hares. Now Available Full description of this kind. The body length of an adult is approximately 19-26 cm. Males are usually larger in size. The tail of a jerboa, as a rule, is 1.3 times the length of the body and is about 25-30 cm. There is usually a fluffy tassel at its end. Such a tail is necessary for the animal to maintain the balance of the body while running. In addition, fat accumulates in it, which later helps the animal survive the winter season. The body weight of these creatures does not exceed 300 g. The muzzle of the jerboa is wide, but slightly elongated. She is crowned with a characteristic piglet. The eyes of jerboas are set very high. They differ large sizes. The ears are quite long. Often they reach 6 cm.

These creatures are distinguished by subtle hearing. Any wrong rustle leads to the fact that a large steppe jerboa takes off running, wanting to get into its hole. External Description representatives of different sexes of these creatures are similar. This long-eared jerboa also has very large feet, which can reach up to about 45% of the body. The eared animal moves exclusively on its hind legs. They can reach about 20 cm. Many other types of jerboas have a similar description of the structure, but at the same time they are even more modest in size. This is no coincidence, since they all came from the same ancestor. Since these creatures look very exotic, they have been successfully tamed. However, only the domestic jerboa has already lost the ability to live in the wild, and besides, it is not a carrier of various dangerous diseases. Thus, only a tamed animal can be considered completely safe for humans.

Large, like the shag-legged jerboa, it is an excellent jumper. In one push, he can overcome more than 1.5 m. This is possible due to the structure of the lower legs. It is known that these animals can move not only through long jumps, but also by rearranging their paws. It is when running that a long tail helps them to maintain balance when the animal needs to transfer body weight from one paw to another. However, the jerboa gained fame as a jumper. On elongated feet, reaching a length of more than 10 cm, the lateral fingers, that is, the 1st and 5th, are poorly developed. Having a similar structure of paws, the long-eared jerboa can reach speeds of up to 50 km per hour, which allows it to avoid natural enemies. Only a terry-legged jerboa, which has a similar structure of paws, can be a real competitor in speed to a large earthen hare. Among the animals of the desert, the jerboa is perhaps the fastest rodent.

The forelimbs of this animal are greatly reduced, as they are used exclusively in the process of feeding. In addition, the large jerboa uses them for burrowing. The animal has a warm fur cover. Its color largely depends on where the jerboas live. Usually the top coat is brownish-gray with a rusty tinge. On the abdomen and chest, the fur is whitish-grayish in color. This makes it almost invisible on the ground and in withered foliage. The desert jerboa may have a uniform yellowish-brown coat color. It also contributes to camouflage.

Lesser jerboa (video)

Gallery: large jerboa (25 photos)

Distribution area of ​​the big jerboa

This animal prefers to settle in forest-steppe and desert zones. Its largest population is in Eastern Europe, Kazakhstan and Western Siberia. Due to the good adaptability of the natural habitat, the large jerboa has spread much further than other members of the family. Its habitat extends up to 55 ° north latitude. For example, the long-legged jerboa can no longer live here, since climatic conditions it's too harsh for him.

The population of these animals different areas uneven. The range of large jerboas extends to the steppes near the Black Sea and extends up to Altai mountains. These animals try to avoid plowed lands, as loose soil does not allow them to dig shelters. In some regions where jerboas were previously very common, they are now completely extinct. In some areas, for example, in Kazakhstan and on the left bank of Ukraine, this species is on the verge of extinction. In many regions, this variety of ground hare divides natural environment with other members of this family. For example, the upland jerboa has a similar distribution area, but at the same time, its large population is found in areas that differ relatively warm climate and mild winters.

African jerboas (video)

Lifestyle and reproduction of a large jerboa

It is now known that these animals are an extremely important link the food chain. These little creatures have a lot of natural enemies. They are actively hunted:

• steppe snakes;
• some types of lizards;
• predator birds;
• wolves;
• foxes.

Thus, not a single predator will miss its chance to taste the earthen hare, if they have the opportunity. Snakes are a particular threat to warm-blooded animals. The large jerboa, like the upland jerboa, is nocturnal, therefore it often becomes the prey of owls, which, thanks to their excellent night vision and hearing, can detect a rodent that has left its hole to find food. Thanks to developed bodies feelings animals can avoid dangers. If this creature notices signs of a predator approaching, it takes to its heels. The jerboa is primarily a herbivore. His favorite foods are:

• wormwood leaves;
• bulbs of lily plants;
• seeds of melons and cereals.

In rare cases, these creatures can eat insects. In the spring, they harm agricultural land, as they often hunt on sown fields, digging up buried seeds. After the appearance of juicy green grass, the beast begins to feed on it. In the daytime, the animals always hide in burrows. There is usually only 1 nesting chamber, the entrance to which the jerboa blocks with an earthen embankment in order to protect itself from a sudden attack by a snake. There may be emergency exits in the hole in case of unexpected guests.

The breeding season in animals begins in late spring. Representatives of different sexes, who usually lead a solitary lifestyle, begin to make screams to attract a partner. Pregnancy lasts about 25 days.

In late spring or early summer, the female brings offspring, which can include from 2 to 8 cubs. She feeds herself. In some regions, these creatures bring 2 offspring. The young animals stay with the female for 1.5 months, then go to self-feeding in order to stock up on enough fat and survive the winter.

These animals hibernate. For wintering, they dig deeper holes, the length of which can be about 2.5 m.

In winter, jerboas do not eat, so they do not make stocks. Juveniles reach adulthood at 2 years of age. Average duration The life of these creatures in nature is about 3 years. More recently, fishing for jerboas was carried out in various regions, including Kazakhstan, but it has been discontinued. One of the reasons for stopping the harvesting of skins is the fact that the animal is a natural carrier of tularemia, plague and some types of fevers.

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MOKHNOGONY Jerboa (DIPUS SAGITTA)

This is a typical representative of the three-toed jerboas, which surpassed the five-toed ones in some traits of specialization for living in deserts. In particular, non-functional and therefore useless lateral fingers on the hind limbs completely disappeared, leaving only three support fingers. Among them, there are more inhabitants of the sands, therefore, the lower surface of the supporting fingers of many is covered with a stiff "brush" of elongated hair. They do not allow a calmly sitting animal to “drown” in loose sand, and a fast-running animal to slip. In three-toed jerboas, similar to dwarf ones, the cervical vertebrae are fused to one degree or another. Finally, they have a different specialization of the organ of hearing than the five-fingered ones: the auditory capsule is enlarged, and not the auricle.

The upland jerboa, in which all these features are quite clearly expressed, is an animal of medium size for a family: body length 9-12 cm, tail 14-17 cm, weight up to 100 g. Tail with a well-developed terminal "banner". The "brush" on the toes of the hind legs is well developed, the ears are short. The coloration of the upper body is "desert", with a predominance of sandy and reddish tones, the abdomen is white, a narrow white "band" runs across the thigh.

The upland jerboa lives in sandy deserts from the northern Caspian in the west to Mongolia and Tuva in the east. Its range covers almost the whole of Kazakhstan and the plains of Central Asia, in Central Asia rises to high-mountain plateaus up to 3000 meters, in the north with small massifs of sand it penetrates into the so-called "ribbon forests" of Western Siberia. Thus, this jerboa is geographically very versatile, the main thing for it is the presence of vast sandy massifs.

In these sands, the upland jerboa digs fairly complex summer nesting burrows, total length underground passages reaches 5-7 meters, sometimes more than 10. In addition to the main passage leading to the nesting chamber, there are several burrows and emergency exits in the burrow. In the cell, the jerboa makes a nest from withered grass, roots, tows of sheep's wool, and other soft material: once I had a chance to see how a troublesome animal cruised midnight between its hole and a shepherd's yurt, which stood forty meters away, tearing pieces of felt out of a felt mat. Summer temporary burrows, as it always happens, are simpler - a single passage leads into the thickness of the sand at an obtuse, almost right angle. Winter burrows are also without burrows, but deep: the nesting chamber is located up to 2 meters underground. Going into hibernation, the animal clogs the passage into the hole with a long earthen plug.

Unlike the five-fingered jerboas, the three-toed ones (including the terry-legged one) dig not with their incisors, but with their front paws with long sharp claws. Teeth are used only if a dense layer of soil comes across or you need to gnaw through the spine. It throws dug sand far back with sharp movements of strong hind legs, so that before entering the hole of the upland jerboa there is almost always a characteristic ejection of soil.

Upland jerboa is a "vegetarian", feeding almost exclusively on stems, leaves and seeds. herbaceous plants. Only in spring it eats small invertebrates in significant quantities: beetles, night butterflies, various larvae.

The character of the upland jerboa is nasty. If the caught animals are put in a common cage, a serious battle immediately flares up between them, from which the fighters come out covered in blood. Even living in a cage with other, more peaceful, rodents for a long time, the shaggy-legged jerboa, when neighbors approach, begins to grumble angrily, snorts, jumps up, spins to the sides - in general, it expresses its discontent in every possible way.

These jerboas breed in spring and autumn. Pregnancy lasts about a month, the female feeds the cubs for the same amount (usually there are 3-5 of them in a litter). Juveniles spend almost the entire first month of life in a hole and appear on the surface almost fully developed, ready for independent life. For the first week, young jerboas go for walks with their mother: they jump after her in a chain, either lagging behind or pulling themselves up. If the female finds something edible, everyone sticks their noses at one point, their tails stick out - it turns out such a kind of "star" figure. When it starts to get light and it's time to return, the female almost forcibly drives the frolicking cubs into the hole, and she does not always manage to do it on the first try. The female is so jealous of the preservation of her offspring that, having found a trace of the worst enemies - a snake or a boa snake, at the brood hole, she transfers the family to another shelter, away from the first.

emiranchik(Stylodipus telum) -- close relative legged jerboa, similar to it in size and color of the body, rather large head and short ears. Outwardly, it is distinguished by the absence of a two-color "banner": the terminal third of the tail is covered with rather long smoky hair. There is no elongated hair on the toes of the hind legs in the eelmarine and the "comb".

The range of this jerboa extends from the lower reaches of the Dnieper through the semi-deserts and deserts of Kazakhstan to the Gobi desert, where another, close species of the jerboa lives. Our primrose is not distinguished by attachment to a particular biotope: it can be found in the sands, in gravel-clay deserts and semi-deserts, in feather-grass steppes, and in the north of Kazakhstan - even in pine forests growing on sandy soil. And yet he prefers dense-ground deserts (that's why he doesn't need hair "combs" on his fingers).

The permanent burrows of the lizard are rather complicated, with large quantity passages and nesting chambers; temporary burrows - blindly ending simple passages up to 2 meters long. Food is mainly stems and leaves of herbaceous plants, he especially loves quinoa, spurge, some cereals; with great pleasure eats the leaves and shoots of saxaul. Hibernation lasts 4-5 months. Emeranches breed once a year.

Upland jerboa
or
jerboa-arrowPrepared

Upland jerboa, or arrow jerboa (lat. Dipus sagitta) is the only species from the genus of upland jerboas of the jerboa family.

Spreading

Upland jerboa inhabits sandy deserts and semi-deserts of the southeast of the European part of Russia, Kazakhstan, Central and Central Asia, the south of the Altai Territory, as well as Northern Iran, is also found in small quantities in Central Asia. To the west of the Volga, it lives in the Terek-Kuma, Nizhnevolzhsky and Volga-Don sands.
Dwells among various types sands, from dune to hilly, however, avoids massifs of bare dune sands.

Appearance

The species has a strong geographical variability.
Animals from the southern and southeastern parts of the range are larger and brighter in color, in which ocher and reddish tones appear instead of gray, as in animals from the northern and northwestern parts of the range. The species has several subspecies, united in the "sagitta" and "lagopus" groups.

Jerboas of medium size. Sexual dimorphism is not expressed. The body is short. The tail is long (1.2-1.3 times longer than the body), not thickened. The forelimbs are short, the hind limbs are long (the length of the foot is 47-51% of the body length), three-toed. The head is large, the muzzle is shortened, wide. The piglet is well defined, the ears are relatively short and rounded.
The hairline is thick and soft. The coloration of the top of the head and back, as well as the cheeks and outer surfaces of the thighs, varies greatly depending on the habitat: from pale sandy yellow to dark. The sides of the body and cheeks are covered with somewhat lighter and brighter hair than the back. Lips, throat, chest, belly and inner thighs are pure white. The rings around the eyes and spots behind the ears are greyish-white in color. At the end of the tail there is a long, two-color tassel (banner): its main part is black (in young animals) or dark brown (in old animals), and the end is pure white.

Lifestyle

Active and mobile animal. Activity occurs at dusk and at night. Max Speed running - 8.1 m / s, the maximum length of the jump - 200 cm. The day is spent in holes. In total, 4 types of burrows of upland jerboas are distinguished: protective, diurnal summer, brood, wintering. Permanent burrows are up to 5-6 m long and up to 3 m deep, with 1-3 emergency exits. In the northern regions it hibernates, and in the southern regions it is active throughout the winter period, with the exception of very severe winters.
Relatively herbivorous. Before the start of the growing season in early spring upland jerboas feed exclusively on last year's seeds; with the beginning of the growing season, green and underground parts of plants predominate in the diet. In summer and autumn, they feed mainly on ripened seeds and fruits. They also feed on insects and their larvae. Forage is collected in the ground layer, although they also climb bushes well.

Rough-legged jerboa – Dipus sagitta Pallas, 1773

The main characteristics of the species are the same as those of the genus. In the karyotype, as in representatives of other genera of three-toed jerboas (except for Stylodipus G. Allen), 2n = 48.

Distribution: To the west of the Volga, it lives in the Terek-Kuma, Nizhnevolzhsky and Volga-Don sands north to the mouth of the river. Bear, south to the river. Terek. In the Volga-Urals - north to Urda, and along the river. Ural to the latitude of the village of Indeborsky. Further, the northern border passes through the Temir sands, northern Ustyurt (Mataikum), Bolshie Barsuki, Sarysu and Prichui Moiynkum, the sands of the southern Balkhash region and the Alakol basin. Along the Irtysh valley it reaches approximately 52 ° N. sh., and to the east - to the ribbon forests of the Altai steppes, Yuzhn. Tuva (Ubsunur basin); in the eastern part of the Alai Valley lives at an altitude of more than 3000 m above sea level. m., where it appears, apparently, from the Chinese part of the range.

Lifestyle and meaning for a person

It lives among different types of sands, from sand dunes to hilly ones, at different stages of fixation and secondary dispersal, however, it avoids massifs of barkhan sands. It is especially numerous in small-hilly and large-ridged sands, including those subjected to intensive grazing. When living together with the crested jerboa, it adheres to inter-ridge and inter-dune depressions. Occurs in dune sands overgrown with pine forest. Together with the small jerboa, it is one of the first to inhabit sandy areas of the drying bottom. Aral Sea. Active and mobile animal. In the northern parts of its range, it hibernates; in the south, it is active throughout the winter period, except for unusually severe winters.

Under favorable conditions, the number can reach 5-6 animals per 1 ha, or 15-20 individuals per 1 km of the route. Temporary (reserve) holes, as a rule, are absent; permanent - up to 5-6 m long and up to 3 m deep, with 1-3 emergency exits, closed by sand plugs; the main passage may remain open. It also settles in the burrows of the great gerbil. Only in spring, vegetative parts of plants predominate in food, including green twigs and flowers of sandy shrubs, in particular saxaul and kandym; also eats roots and bulbs. With the onset of seed maturation, it completely switches to feeding on them. Easily climbs bushes to obtain twigs and fruits. Unlike most other species of three-toed jerboas, it also constantly eats insects and their larvae. The breeding period lasts from 2 - 2.5 months. (Tersko-Kuma sands) up to 8-9 months. (western Kyzyl Kum). Correspondingly, the number of litters is also different, reaching up to 4 per year: 2-3(?) in overwintered females and 1 in arrived animals of the first brood. The average number of cubs (Kyzylkum, by embryos) is about 4.

The damage caused to sand-protecting plantings and desert pastures is noted. Natural carrier of plague, salmonellosis and erysipeloid pathogens.

Geographic variation and subspecies.

The size and coloration form a distinct "wedge": the animals from the southern and southeastern parts of the range are larger and brighter than those in the north and northwest, and ocher and reddish tones are clearly visible in the color instead of gray.

Up to 8 subspecies are described, in the territory former USSR - 6.

1.D.s. nogai Satunin, 1907. Larger than other subspecies. The color of the upperparts is dull, brownish-gray, with a slight admixture of ocher or reddish tones. Distribution: eastern Ciscaucasia.

2. D.s. innae Ognev, 1930. Coloration is brighter, ocher-reddish. Distribution: from the Volga-Don watershed to the northern Aral Sea region.

3.D.s. lagopus Lichlenstein, 1832. Upperparts pale, buffy-sandy. Distribution: Avg. Asia, South. Kazakhstan.

4. D.s. sagitta Pallas, 1773. Upperparts are ocher-brown with an olive tinge. Distribution: East. Kazakhstan and Southwest. Siberia.

5. D.s. zaissanensis Selevin, 1934. Close to the previous one, differing from it in a brighter rusty coloration of the back and a paler color of the "banner". Distribution: Zaisan and, possibly, Alakol depressions.

6. D.s. sowerbyi Thomas, 1908. Close to the previous one, but the size is smaller, and the color of the upperparts is rufous. Distribution: Tuva; Mongolia, Center. China.

Of the above subspecies D. s. lagopus, apparently, has a "collective" character: some individuals do not differ from D. s. innae, and part (South Kazakhstan) belongs to still undescribed forms.

http://zoometod.narod.ru

Upland jerboa – Dipus sagitta (Pallas, 1773)

Inhabitant of deserts and steppes. The body length is up to 14 cm. The hind legs are three-toed with a brush of elongated hair on the fingers, which serves to move along quicksand. On the tail is a black “banner” with a white tip. In danger, it runs away with sharp jumps, constantly changing direction. Distributed in the Lower Volga region, the Caspian region, Kazakhstan, Tuva and Altai. It lives in different types of sands. In a few minutes, it can dig a passage up to 70 cm long, even in dense sand. It digs branched burrows up to 6 meters long and 3 meters deep with one or three emergency exits, closed by "plugs" of sand. It climbs well on the branches of shrubs. It hibernates in the northern parts of its range. Immediately after sunset, the feather-legged jerboa emerges from its burrow. It feeds on seeds and fruits, and also eats insects and their larvae. Young jerboas at first go to feed after their mother in a chain, but after a few days they already dig their own holes. One of the first to inhabit the deserted areas of the drying bottom of the Aral Sea. Natural carrier of plague pathogens.