Scarturus euphraticus (Thomas, 1881)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6591722 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6591628 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/482287C8-ED57-7D72-B124-F92DCF887601 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Scarturus euphraticus |
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Euphrates Jerboa
French: Gerboise de |'Euphrate / German: Euphrat-Pferdespringer / Spanish: Jerbo del Eufrates
Other common names: Montane Jerboa
Taxonomy. Allactaga euphratica Thomas, 1881 View in CoL ,
“Mesopotamia [= Iraq].”
Previously included in the genus Allactaga and later Paralactaga, which has recently been found to be a junior synonym of Scarturus . Phylogenetically, S. euphraticus is in the subgenus Paralactaga, being the sister species of the S. williams: + S. aulacotis clade. The form kivancinamed by E. Colak and N.Yigit in 1998 is genetically identical with the nominate form; moreover, kivanc was described based on comparison of specimens from southern Turkey with S. aulacotis from Syria rather than with true S. euphraticus. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
S. e. caprimulga Ellerman, 1948 — Afghanistan. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 77-140 mm, tail 144-210 mm, ear 29-52 mm, hindfoot 50-68 mm; weight 48-92 g. There is no significant secondary sexual dimorphism. Condylo-basal lengths of skulls are 25-4-31 mm, zygomatic breadths are 19-4-23-6 mm, and maxillary tooth row lengths are 5-8-7 mm. Head and dorsum are grayish buff; sides and ventral pelage are pure white; and tail banner is wide and well flattened, with short white (often with narrow longitudinal dorsal dark strip) (nominate euphraticus) or ocherous (caprimulga) basal ring, relatively long black subterminal field, and medium-length white terminal tuft. Toes of hindfeet are covered from below with short soft white hairs, mixed with black, not forming brushes; conic calluses at bases of toes are large, with wide bases and rounded apexes. Auditory bullae are weakly inflated. Mastoid cavity is medium-sized and not subdivided into sections; tympanic cavity is extremely small. Front surfaces of incisors are white; incisors are weakly deflected forward. P' is relatively small and 1-6-2 times smaller in diameter than M®. Molars are lowcrowned, with tuberculous masticatory surfaces; crown heights of unworn molars are c.70% of their lengths. Glans penis is egg-shaped, 5-6-6-6 mm long and 3-3-3-9 mm wide, slightly compressed in dorso-ventral direction, subdivided by deep longitudinal dorsal fold into two lateral lobes; surfaces of lobes are covered by single-vertex, backward-directed aciculae increasing in size in backward direction; and aciculae are arranged in 9-10 concentric rows with 14-15 aciculae in each row. Os penis (baculum) is absent. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48 and FN = 96.
Habitat. Steppe, semi-deserts, and desert. In southern Turkey, the Euphrates Jerboa prefers low plains at elevations of 400-650 m, with sparse grassy ground cover, and avoids sandy and cultivated areas. In Afghanistan, it occurs in dry montane terrain, with low and sparse vegetation at elevations of 1800-3200 m.
Food and Feeding. Euphrates Jerboa is a generalist herbivore and eats green leaves, fresh roots, bulbs, stems, and seeds.
Breeding. Breeding of the Euphrates Jerboa occurs in April-June in southern Turkey and northern Syria and February—May in Iraq. Litters have 4-8 young (average six). Females have two litters per year.
Activity patterns. The Euphrates Jerboa is nocturnal. Aboveground activity usually starts 1-5-2 hours after sunset and ends before dawn. Hibernation occurs in November—January.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Summer burrows of Euphrates Jerboas are simple and usually have one tunnel, direct or with 1-2 turns. Tunnelstarts at the ground’s surface, with a typically plugged entrance, and ends in a nest chamber 11-15 cm in diameter and 35-45 cm deep. In most cases, burrows have one additional tunnel ending with emergency exits. Total lengths of tunnels are 80-120 cm. In the wild, Euphrates Jerboa are usually solitary. In captivity, they try to avoid physical contact and emit different types of sounds; fighting has not been recorded. In captivity, initials contact between individuals, regardless of sex, is aggressive; after two hours of intense fighting, individuals became peaceful; however, in some cases, interactions can cause serious wounds or death.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List (as Allactaga euphratica ). The Euphrates Jerboa is threatened in Turkey by the expansion of irrigated cotton fields and hunting.
Bibliography. Arslan et al. (2012), Atallah & Harrison (1969), Colak & Yigit (1998a, 1998b), Colak et al. (1994), Dianat et al. (2013), Habibi (2004), Harrison & Bates (1991), Hassinger (1973), Kadhim & Wahid (1986), Kadhim et al. (1979), Krystufek & Vohralik (2005), Krystufek, Arslan et al. (2013), Lewis et al. (1965).
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