The genus ''Allactaga'' contains the five-toed jerboas of

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. They are small mammals belonging to the order of rodents. They are characteristically known as the hopping

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

s of the

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

and

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a aridity, dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below Evapotranspiration#Potential evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, but not as l ...

regions. They have long hind feet, short

forelimb A forelimb or front limb is one of the paired articulated appendages ( limbs) attached on the cranial (anterior) end of a terrestrial tetrapod vertebrate's torso. With reference to quadrupeds, the term foreleg or front leg is often used inst ...

s, and walk upright. 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. The jerboa body length ranges from 5–15 cm and has a tail ranging from 7–25 cm."Jerboa (rodent)"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 12 October 2013. The "forelimbs of the jerboa serve as a pair of hands for feeding, grooming, etc."Kirmiz, John P. ''Adaptation to Desert Environment; A Study on the Jerboa, Rat and Man''. London: Butterworths, 1962. 29. Print. Jerboas use their nose to burrow and push the dirt when looking for food.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. The male jerboa is usually larger in size and weight in comparison to the female jerboa. The

pelt A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

of the jerboa is either silky or velvety in texture and light in color, the coloration helps

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

into surroundings to avoid

predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...

s. All members of the genus have five toes.

Adaptation to desert conditions

Jerboas are adapted to live in deserts therefore are called

xerocole A xerocole (), is a general term referring to any animal that is adapted to live in a desert. The main challenges xerocoles must overcome are lack of water and excessive heat. To conserve water they avoid evaporation and concentrate excretions (i. ...

animals. They are

nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...

and spend most of their day

burrow file:Chipmunk-burrow (exits).jpg, An eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of Animal lo ...

ed under sand to avoid the heat. Burrowing under the sand, they evade the heat from the sun, minimizing water loss and avoiding

dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...

. 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. Specific species of jerboas plug burrow entrances with soil to retain moisture and keep hot air from entering burrows. The pelt of the jerboa is usually light and sandy in color to reflect heat from the sun and reduce heat absorption.

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 Feces (also known as faeces or fæces; : faex) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relatively small amount of ...

to identify they are in the burrow.

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 Vegetation is an assemblage of plants and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular Taxon, taxa, life forms, structure, Spatial ecology, spatial extent, or any other specific Botany, botanic ...

and others are

insectivore file:Common brown robberfly with prey.jpg, A Asilidae, robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivore, carnivorous animal or plant which eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the Entomophagy ...

s. They search for sprouting vegetation, roots, and/or dry grains. During autumn, jerboas are at their heaviest in preparation for

hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic reduction entered by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It is mos ...

. Jerboas are not considered agricultural pest.

Reproduction

The jerboa

reproductive The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are al ...

activity depends on the seasons. Similar to other hibernating animals, the mating season for jerboas is spring to summer.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.

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'' *''

incertae sedis or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' **'' Allactaga toussi'' *Subgenus ''

Allactaga The genus ''Allactaga'' contains the five-toed jerboas of Asia. They are small mammals belonging to the order of rodents. They are characteristically known as the hopping rodents of the desert and semi-arid regions. They have long hind feet, shor ...

'' ** Iranian jerboa, ''Allactaga firouzi'' ** Hotson's jerboa, ''Allactaga hotsoni'' **

Great jerboa The great jerboa (''Allactaga major'') is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. It mainly lives in deserts. Description The great jerboa is the biggest of all spec ...

, ''Allactaga major'' ** Severtzov's jerboa, ''Allactaga severtzovi'' *Subgenus '' Orientallactaga'' **

Balikun jerboa The Balikun jerboa (''Allactaga balikunica'') 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. Description The Balik ...

, ''Allactaga balikunica'' ** Gobi jerboa, ''Allactaga bullata'' ** Mongolian five-toed jerboa, ''Allactaga sibirica''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q654494 Dipodidae Rodent genera Taxa named by Frédéric Cuvier