Table of Contents
Overview
Distribution
Range Description
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Geographic Range
Allactaga elater is most commonly found in eastern Asia Minor and the lower Volga River to Sinkiang and western Pakistan.
(van Veen, 1998)
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native ); oriental (Native )
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Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Allactaga elater is commonly known as a small, five-toed jerboa. This jumping rodent has short front legs and long hind limbs. The hind limbs are usually four times as long as the front limbs and measure up to 10 cm. in length. Its body averages 15 cm. from head to tail. Allactaga elater is a sandy color on top and a whiter color underneath. The tip of the tail is usually black. Hair is also found under its feet to provide better traction in the sandy environments where it lives.
(Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, 1986)
Average mass: 58.7 g.
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
It inhabits different biotopes in deserts and semideserts, depending on soil and vegetation type. The species prefers sandy, rubbly and loamy soils, and is found on solonetzic deserts, but never inhabits real deserts. It prefers areas with a mixture of vegetation including shrubs. Avoids open spaces and dense vegetation (Shenbrot et al. 1995). This species occurs in some degraded habitats and along the edges of agricultural areas.
It feeds on different herbs, seeds and insects. It is solitary, and active during dusk and at night. Lives in burrows with a length up to 2 m and depth up to 70 cm. Across most of its range it hibernates for about four months (from mid-November to mid-March), but in Transcaucasia does not hibernate. The reproductive period starts after hibernation (in Transcaucasia in February). There are two reproductive peaks in April and in August-September. Produces 2-3 litters per year with 2-6 young per litter.
Systems
- Terrestrial
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Habitat
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Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
Allactaga elater obtains its food by burrowing in the sand or soil. They generally feed on seeds, insects and the succulent parts of plants. They do not require free water in nature or captivity because they obtain suffient amounts in their food.
(Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, 1986)
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Life History and Behavior
Life Expectancy
Lifespan/Longevity
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 5.2 years.
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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Reproduction
Reproduction
Females give birth twice each year. The young are born in an average litter size of three. The gestation period for these small rodents is short, ranging from twenty days to four weeks, although the actual time is not known. After birth, the mother stays with her young for several months to protect and teach them until they are old enough to fend for themselves in the wild. The young reach sexual maturity in six weeks.
(Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, 1986; Britannica, 1999; Wood, 1998)
Average number of offspring: 4.5.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 142 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 142 days.
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Allactaga elater
Public Records: 0
Species: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Justification
History
- 1996Lower Risk/least concern
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Conservation Status
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
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Trends
Population
Population Trend
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Threats
Threats
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Management
Conservation Actions
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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Allactaga elater carries and transmits disease. However, because of the arid, unpopulated region they inhabit, the danger isn't as prevalent as coming in contact with rodents in more highly populated areas of the world.
(Curtin, 1998)
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Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Allactaga elater is used for its fur. They are poached by humans and their fur is used to make clothing and other fashionable objects.
(Curtin, 1998)
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Wikipedia
Small Five-toed Jerboa
The Small Five-toed Jerboa (Allactaga elater) is a species of rodent in the Dipodidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
References
- ^ Shenbrot, G., Tsytsulina, K., Batsaikhan, N., Avirmed, D., Tinnin, D., Sukhchuluun, G. & Lkhagvasuren, D. (2008). Allactaga elater. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 11 February 2009.
- 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.
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