From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Species of rodent
The
Baluchistan pygmy jerboa
(
Salpingotulus michaelis
) or
dwarf three-toed jerboa
, is a species of
rodent
in the family
Dipodidae
. It is the only species in the genus
Salpingotulus
. Adults average only 4.3 cm (1.7 in) in head and body length, with the tail averaging 8 cm (3.1 in). Adult females weigh 3.2 g (0.11 oz).
[2]
It is currently considered to be
endemic
to
Pakistan
.
[1]
In the 1999
Guinness Book of Records
, it was listed as tied for the smallest rodent in the world with the
northern pygmy mouse
.
[3]
Distribution
[
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]
The species has been recorded from Pakistan and may occur in Afghanistan. It frequents sand dunes, gravel flats and plains in hot deserts.
[1]
Ecology
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These nocturnal jerboas move through its dry desert habitat in long hops, balancing with the tail. They live in burrows generally excavated under small bushes. They feed on wind blown seeds, succulent leaves of desert-adapted vegetation, and various dead animals such as other rodents and lizards; food is raised to the mouth using the hands. As plants dry up, they are often left to dig up roots of desert plants and feast on them. They are omnivores. They undergo a
diurnal rhythm
of physiological
dormancy
, when their bodily functions, including respiration and blood circulation, slow down dramatically. This is known as facultative
hypothermia
and enables the species to survive on a diet of low nutritional value. Two to four young, blind and naked at birth, are born in the spring and summer months. No more than two litters a year are normally produced.
[4]
Predators
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The natural predators of the jerboa are the leaf-nosed viper (
Eristocophis mcmahoni
), the trans-Caspian monitor lizard (
Varanus caspius
), and the sand cat (
Felis margarita
).
[4]
See also
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]
References
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]