Jaculus jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Amr, Zuhair S., Abu, Mohammad A., Qumsiyeh, Mazin & Eid, Ehab, 2018, Systematics, distribution and ecological analysis of rodents in Jordan, Zootaxa 4397 (1), pp. 1-94 : 15-16

Jaculus jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name: Three-toed jerboa, lesser Egyptian jerboa.

Diagnosis: The lesser Egyptian jerboa is characterized by its long fur, gray-brown dorsal color, and white ventral color ( Figure 14 ). Hind feet are long with three toes. The back feet also have large hair tufts. Central digit of the three toes is longest. Tail is long terminating with white brush. Four pairs of mammae. Skull with very large, inflated bullae. 3 upper cheekteeth. Small first premolar missing. Angular process with perforation that has a sharp projection beneath it ( Figure 15 ).

Localities: Al Jafr, Azraq Ash Shīshān, Qaşr ‘Amra (Atallah, 1978); Jāwá (Searight, 1987); Wādī Faynān ( Amr & Disi, 1988); Ash Shawmarī Wildlife Reserve (Hatough-Bouran, 1990); Al Hazīm, Al Wisad, Buqay’awiyah, Qaşr Burqu‘, ar Ruwayshid, Safawi, Wādī Al Hashad ( Abu Baker & Amr, 2003b); Wādī Ramm (Abu Baker & Amr, 2004). Materials extracted from owl pellets. Ex. Athene noctua, Wādī Al Hashad (Al- Melhim et al., 1997); Ex. Bubo bubo, S Azraq (Amr et al., 1997) ; Ex. Bubo bubo, Faydat ad Dahik (Rifa et al., 2000); Ex. Tyto alba, Ash Shawmarī Wildlife Reserve ( Abu Baker et al., 2005) ; Ex. Bubo bubo, Azraq Wetland Reserve (Shehab & Ciach, 2008) ; Ex. Athene noctua, Qaşr Al Kharanah (Obuch per. com); Ex. Bubo bubo, Qaşr Burqu‘ (Obuch per. com); Ex. Bubo bubo and Tyto alba, Ash Shawmarī Wildlife Reserve (Obuch per. com); Ex., Strix butleri , (Wādī um Numayr) Petra (Obuch per. com). New records. Jāwá, Qatar, Raḩmah, Ar Rīshah, Wādī Faynān ( Figure 16 ).

Habitat: The ecology of the three-toed jerboa is well studied (Lewis et al., 1965). It is a nocturnal species and remains active for the first 3 to 4 hours after dark. Burrows are situated in levelled arid areas and may reach up to 120 cm deep. The entrance is plugged with sand during the daytime. Hatough-Bouran (1990) reported on the burrowing habits of this species in different forms of Hammada soil. Burrows are dug in Hammada with more than one opening in addition to the main entrance. The burrow consists of several food chambers, a nest and several blind alleys. Three-toed jerboa is a successful desert species, with a wide range of distribution in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Palestine. It is mostly associated with open gravel plains.

Biology: Females produce 2–7 new born after a gestation period that lasts for about 25 days (Lewis et al., 1965; Kadhim et al., 1979). The three-toed Jerboa is a one of the major food items for desert owls; for example, it represented 2.1% of the little owl, Athene noctua , diet (Al-Melhim et al., 1997), and was consumed readily by the eagle owl, Bubo bubo (Amr et al., 1997; Rifai et al., 2000).

Remarks: Distribution of the three-toed jerboa is restricted to the arid regions of Jordan. This is a common species with unidentified direct threats. It is a main food items for desert owls. Locals relish the meet of jerboas, but this is practiced at low scale. The karyotype for specimens collected from Jordan was found to be 2n=48, NFa= 88, with five metcentric, 14 submetacenteric and four acrocentric pairs of chromosomes ( Al-Shyeab, 2013).

Figures

FIGURE 14. The three-toed jerboa, Jaculus jaculus, from the eastern desert of Jordan (photo by Mohammad AbuBaker).

FIGURE 15. A. Dorsal,B. Ventral, and C. Lateral views of the skull for Jaculus jaculus.

FIGURE 16. Distribution of the three-toed jerboa, Jaculus jaculus.