Kozlov's pygmy jerboa
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Salpingotus kozlovi

Kozlov's pygmy jerboa (Salpingotus kozlovi ) is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in northwestern China and southern and eastern Mongolia. Its natural habitat is temperate desert.

Appearance

Kozlov's pygmy jerboa is a very small rodent with a relatively large head and a very long tail; it has a head-and-body length of 43 to 56 mm (1.7 to 2.2 in) and a tail length of 119 to 126 mm (4.7 to 5.0 in) and its weight is between 7 and 12 g (0.2 and 0.4 oz). The fur is silky, the upper parts are sandy-grey with the bases of the hairs yellowish-grey, the flanks are rather paler and the underparts white or yellowish. The hind feet have three toes and dense pads of long hair on the soles. The tail s scantily clad with long hairs and has a tufted, dark-coloured tip.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

Kozlov's pygmy jerboa is native to southern and eastern Mongolia, and northwestern China, in the provinces of Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Xinjiang. Its natural habitat is sandy desert and semi-desert, often with scrubby saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron ) and tamarix.

Habits and Lifestyle

The ecology of Kozlov's pygmy jerboa is not well known. It lives in a burrow and is mainly nocturnal, emerging at dusk to feed on seeds, green plant matter, spiders and insects. Breeding takes place in April and May and the litter size averages three to five young.

Lifestyle

Population

Population number

Kozlov's pygmy jerboa has a wide range and is a common species in suitable habitat. The population trend is not known but it is presumed to have a large total population and is present in several protected areas. No specific threats to this jerboa have been identified, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

References

1. Kozlov's pygmy jerboa Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kozlov's_pygmy_jerboa
2. Kozlov's pygmy jerboa on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19865/115153820

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About